Pirates Add Late Bloomer With Loud Bat In David Bednar Deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ return in the David Bednar trade centers on a late-blooming slugger with one of the loudest bats in the Yankees’ system.

Flores did not take the straight road to pro ball, but it has not slowed his climb. After two JUCO stops in California and a breakout stint with the Alaska Goldpanners, he signed with the Yankees in 2022 as an undrafted free agent.

By 2024, he was named their Minor League Player of the Year and kept swinging his way upward. He slugged 21 homers between High-A and Double-A last season, then launched another 16 in Double-A this year before a well-earned bump to Triple-A.

Flores, 24, offers a high-risk, high-reward offensive profile according to MLB.com. He is a right-handed hitter with real lift-side juice and top-end exit velocities. His swing is built to do damage, and when he is on time, he can leave the yard in a hurry. But there is also some in-zone whiff that comes with the power, something the Pirates believe they can help him iron out.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, Flores is more mobile than his frame suggests. He has made steady progress behind the plate, even as his future may trend toward first base. He allowed 115 stolen bases in 67 starts last year and still needs polish when it comes to blocking and throwing, but his hands and work ethic have kept him viable behind the dish.

Whether Flores sticks at catcher or shifts full-time to first, he is viewed as a bat-first prospect with everyday upside.

He may not have arrived in Pittsburgh with top-100 buzz, but his power potential alone makes him one to watch as the Pirates continue to build their young core.

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