Four Prospects Pirates Shouldn't Trade Before Trade Deadline
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In a seller's market, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to have to get comfortable with the gaudy asking prices if they plan on making meaningful upgrades before the August 3 trade deadline.
The Pirates have a deep minor league system, which will work to their advantage, though they must be careful not to get rid of any farmhands that they'll later regret moving.
With that, here are four prospects the Pirates should not trade over the next week-and-a-half.
Seth Hernandez
Trading Hernandez, under all circumstances, should be off the table.
Even if he's the key to hammering out a Mason Miller deal with the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh can't afford to part ways with its top prospect and one of the best farmhands in all of baseball (No. 6 overall per MLB Pipeline).
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Hernandez just turned 20-years-old and has logged a 2.54 ERA over 17 starts (71 innings) between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro with 14.3 K/9.
A right-hander with an electric fastball that can reach 100 mph to go with multiple secondary offerings that carry a ton of potential as out pitches, Hernandez is following in the footsteps of the likes of Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler and thus should not be traded at this year's deadline.
Murf Gray
The No. 73 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Gray has a ton of helium in his first professional season.
After tearing through Bradenton and Greensboro, the 22-year-old third baseman was promoted to Double-A Altoona on July 17. In his first five games with the Curve, he's posted a .997 OPS with a pair of home runs.
On the year as a whole, Gray is slashing .321/.408/.606 with 25 home runs, which is the sixth-most among qualified minor league hitters.
He's going to begin popping up on top prospect lists in no time if he hasn't already, and with his stock rising by the second as one of the top hitters in Pittsburgh's system, the organization should hold onto him at all costs.
Reinold Navarro
An international signing during the 2024 signing period for a bonus of $270,000, Navarro's ceiling is sky-high.
The 19-year-old left-hander has some of the best stuff of any Pirates pitching prospect with a fastball that sits in the high-90s, and a good slider and a changeup that's still coming along.
Navarro currently has a 2.34 ERA across 57 2/3 innings for Bradenton this season with 15.29 K/9 and a 3.78 FIP. His command is a major concern, as he's walking 7.86 batters per nine innings, which means he may eventually have to move to the bullpen. Even if that is the case, Navarro has all the tools to become an elite late-game option for Pittsburgh.
Sellers are certainly going to inquire about Navarro, but the Pirates have to rebuff any suitors in him.
Carlos Tejera
Tejera is off to a strong start in Pittsburgh's farm system after signing for $90,000 as part of the organization's 2026 international class.
The left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .230/.397/.377 with a home run, 14 RBIs and nine stolen bases over 18 games in the Dominican Summer League before getting promoted to the Florida Complex League on July 18.
Across his first nine stateside games, Tejera has a 145 wRC+ with a .960 OPS and two home runs.
The 18-year-old has great speed and projects as an above-average defender in center field while having the type of power and plate discipline you look for in any prospect.
He might be a bit of a sleeper right now, though Tejera could rise up the ranks fairly quickly and thus become someone the Pirates could regret trading if they decide to do so before the deadline.
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Jack is a New Jersey native who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh as a Media & Professional Communications major in 2024 who is now covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Yankees for On SI.