Recent Pirates Roster Moves Portend Shaping of 2026 Roster

Flores Up, Peguero Down as Pirates Look to 2026

Flores was the headliner of the three-prospect haul the Pirates netted when they traded pitcher David Bednar to the New York Yankees. At the time, the 24-year-old catcher/first baseman was the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He’s ranked in the same spot on the Pirates’ prospect list. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has stated that their internal models indicated Flores is a better player than his ranking.

Big at six-feet-four, 232 pounds, the right-handed hitter was hitting .281/.363/.459, 6 HR, and 28 RBI in a month and a half at Triple-A Indianapolis before being selected to the major league roster on Tuesday. Overall, he hit .280/.354/.470, 22 HR, and 88 RBI in the minors this year. He made his major league debut on Wednesday at first base against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. He was 1-for-3, including a long double that would have been out of most other ballparks, and a one-hop smash that would have knocked Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson clear into Pittsburgh’s South Side had he not gloved it.

Primarily a Catcher

Flores started at first base because the Cubs started left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd. Spencer Horwitz, a left-handed batter, has been playing first base against right-handed pitching as part of a platoon with many others who have largely failed. Flores will probably continue to see action at first base against left-handers as the season winds down. However, it’s unlikely he was picked up so he could spend most of the season watching right-handed pitching.

Catcher is his primary position, but one where it appears he needs some work. In four minor league seasons, he’s caught a mere 16 percent of would-be base stealers and been charged with 16 passed balls. So, where does he fit as an everyday player?

Fits for Flores

After starting the season late due to offseason wrist surgery, Horwitz is hitting .260/.338/.405, 9 HR, 42 RBI, and 107 OPS+. Among qualifiers, his OPS and OPS+ lead the Pirates, although that’s not saying much. That level of production might be a good fit in a strong lineup, which isn’t what the Pirates have. It’s not bad, but not so good that Horwitz can’t be replaced by Flores in the Pirates lineup if the latter proves to be a better option.

The Pirates’ catching situation is far from perfect. Endy Rodríguez spent all of last season and most of this one on the injured list and probably shouldn’t be counted on for next year. After a career year in 2024, Joey Bart has fallen to .240/.350/.321, 3 HR, and 26 RBI. He has not fared well defensively. He becomes arbitration-eligible in 2026 and thus is a non-tender candidate. The Pirates’ best defensive catcher is Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021. Oddly, when he was drafted, it was his defense that was questionable, while scouts saw him as a sure bet to develop into a power hitter. What happened is the polar opposite. Davis is hitting a paltry .159/.232/.266, 6 HR, and 20 RBI. He’s been Paul Skenes’ personal catcher all season.

Flores might also find a fit as the designated hitter. That’s been the purview of franchise icon Andrew McCutchen since his return in 2023. “Cutch” is hitting .239/.335/.375, 13 HR, 56 RBI, and 98 OPS+. His OPS and OPS+ are second to Horwitz on the Pirates. Like Horwitz, however, those numbers aren’t terrible, but not so great that he can’t be replaced.

Does Peguero Fit?

Peguero was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in January 2020 in Cherington’s first trade as Pirates GM. At the time, he was thought to be the shortstop of the future. Since 2022, he’s spent time with the Pirates each year, but never for a full season. This season, he was recalled in mid-July after the Pirates traded Adam Frazier to the Kansas City Royals. At Indianapolis, he saw action all over the infield and outfield, as the Pirates began to groom him for a utility role. That’s never a good sign for one wanting to play every day in the majors.

After this latest recall, he was tried as Horwitz’s right-handed platoon partner at first base and started some games at shortstop. Except for a three-homer game at Colorado on August 2, he’s failed to impress with the bat. Overall, he hit .200/.273/.363 in 33 games with Pittsburgh this season. Jared Triolo, who’s seen the bulk of the action at shortstop, has raised his average to .227 by hitting .297 since August 3. If Peguero is the better shortstop, he’s not significantly better. Triolo has enticed the Pirates before with late-season hot hitting, only to see it not carry over into the next season. But Peguero isn’t enticing them at all. Recently, the Pirates have also tried Nick Gonzales at shortstop, with Nick Yorke taking his second base position.

Predictions for 2026

If my predictions are sometimes wrong, at least they’re always cogent. So, here we go:

At the trade deadline, Cherington freed up salary space so he could pursue hitting. It’s not hard to imagine he’d like to free up even more space. Thus, he won’t have an appetite for whatever raise Bart will be due from his present $1.175 million salary. The guess here is that Bart won’t be tendered.

With Bart out of the way, Flores will start most of the games behind the plate for the Pirates whenever Skenes isn’t pitching. The offensively challenged Pirates will have to live with his defensive shortcomings. He should also see action at first base against left-handed pitching.

Davis looks like he’ll carve out a decent career for himself as a backup catcher. He may never become the hitter that he was projected to become. Eventually, it becomes time to forget that he was a No. 1 overall pick and accept what he is and brings to the table. Jason Heyward was another No. 1 draft pick (although 14th overall) who never lived up to the hype. But he’s had a nice 16-year career so far as a Gold Glove outfielder with occasional power. Teams understood what he could give and didn’t expect more.

Meanwhile, Peguero is just 24 and has a minor league option remaining, so another year at Triple-A as organizational depth isn’t the worst idea. However, I get the feeling he’s no longer in the Pirates’ plans. As it stands now, Triolo is the favorite to start at shortstop for the Pirates next season. But due to his history of slow starts, bringing in a veteran shortstop who can handle the bat to challenge him seems appropriate. The situation screams for a reunion with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, however unlikely.

The Last Word

The above analysis assumes that Cherington is back in 2026. Given that the Pirates have made no significant strides during his six seasons, there aren’t a lot of strong arguments for bringing him back. Then again, there’s been no indication that his job is in danger, either. A new GM would mean a more radical overhaul of the offense than we can expect under Cherington. This hypothetical GM would have no fealty toward Horwitz or Davis, for example. How the Pirates would shape up under a new GM, if it happens, would be the subject of another article. I bet you can hardly wait.