Four Prospects Pirates Should Trade Before Deadline
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are in an exciting place ahead of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. With a 53-50 record through 103 games, the Bucs are keeping pace in the NL Wild Card race.
That means the Pirates can be confident buyers before the deadline. With a glaring need for pitching help and plenty of teams willing to deal some of theirs, the Pirates are in a great position to add.
In order to do so, however, the Buccos have to be willing to give up some assets. With a deep prospect pipeline, the Pirates are a team that can truly afford to part with some young players to bring in MLB roster upgrades. Specifically, these four players are the best prospects for the organization to part with in a potential trade.
Yordany De Los Santos
Yordany De Los Santos is a young prospect with an extremely high ceiling. He plays a bit of everything in the infield, has great speed, and at times is a very composed and poised hitter at the plate. Just 21 years old, De Los Santos is a player with plenty to prove, but there's no denying the toolkit at his disposal.
Rafael Flores Jr.
Rafael Flores Jr. is so easy to work for. He was a late-blooming prospect who spent three years playing in junior college before an MLB team noticed him. Now, he's worked his way up and earned a few promotions to the Pirates' MLB club.
The problem is that the Bucs have plenty of catching prospects. They have four catchers ranked among their Top 30 prospects in addition to Flores. Additionally, the 25-year-old catcher and first baseman has trade value around the league. He can play two positions and has a 6'4" frame that many believe will find pop in the right circumstance.
The Pirates have to use that to their advantage, and while Flores Jr. hasn't spent a ton of time in the organization, they shouldn't pass on the opportunity to trade him for pitching help.
Jhostynxon Garcia
It's just his first season with the Pirates, but outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia is a curious study. The 23-year-old has plenty of talent, but is he a prominent piece of the Pirates' plans moving forward? The team's fifth-ranked prospect brings a blend of power combined with an impressive arm in the outfield.
But the Pirates have Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Ryan O'Hearn, Jake Mangum, Billy Cook, Tyler Callihan and breakout rookie Esmerlyn Valdez occupying outfield positions. If Garcia can't help in 2026, is he better used as trade bait? I'd say so.
Thomas Harrington
Harrington is a pitcher right on the cusp. The 25-year-old is the Pirates' 12th-rated prospect, according to MLB.com, but he's reached his ceiling with Pittsburgh. In 2025, he posted a 5.34 ERA over 96.0 innings at the Triple-A level. This year hasn't fared much better, with Harrington posting a 6.38 ERA over 60.2 innings pitched.
Harrington isn't going to be the centerpiece of any trade, but he could be the sweetener. For the Buccos, that might be the best value they get out of the right-handed pitcher.
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Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.