3 undervalued prospects Pirates should try to steal at trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates must do some damage at the MLB Trade Deadline to enhance their chances of winning in 2026. The fanbase knows that their issues won't be addressed in free agency, so this deadline could really be where the Pirates find their missing long-term pieces.

Now, this does not mean they are likely to go buy an established big-league player from another selling organization using their pitching prospect capital. Instead, they should focus on finding underrated prospects from buying teams that are blocked from big-league rosyer spots. Pittsburgh has plenty of rentals, as well as arbitration-eligible big-leaguers, to deal away, so these guys should definitely be obtainable.

The Pirates should target these undervalued prospects at the MLB Trade Deadline.

Gabriel Gonzalez

First off is Gabriel Gonzalez of the Minnesota Twins. The Twins are flirting with .500, so they are still very much in the hunt. The Guardians are just slightly ahead of them in the division, so if Minnesota can work their way closer to a playoff spot, they may buy more aggressively.

The Twins could very well target Andrew Heaney from the Pirates, especially after Pablo López went down, and Gonzalez looks like an ideal return for Pittsburgh. Minnesota has a really strong outfield at the major league level, as well as two top-ranked outfield prospects blocking their 17th-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

This season in High-A and Double-A, Gonzalez has generated a 147 wRC+ with an .892 OPS while striking out at a low 12.4% rate. At 21 years old, he has done really well in the minor leagues, with this season standing out as a highlight. His value is soaring, but he is really blocked off in this organization, making him expandable for Minnesota.

Cody Freeman

Next is Cody Freeman of the Rangers, who are sitting just six games back of first place of the AL West. Even though they are a game below .500, they are very much still in the race and could be buyers at the deadline.

Freeman is not ranked in MLB Pipeline's top 30, but he still has shown a lot of great hit tools that could be very valuable. As a catcher and infielder, Freeman is blocked off by a strong infield core in Texas. Pittsburgh has an uncertain future in that group, considering Ke'Bryan Hayes' status on the trade market and Isiah Kiner-Falefa playing on an expiring deal.

Freeman has not had the best of minor-league careers, but now he is in Triple-A and showing some great tools at the plate, striking out at a 9.1% rate and batting .298. Maybe Freeman could sneak into a bigger trade package and be an under-the-radar find. He wouldn't headline any deal, but stealing this prospect could very well help.

Gavin Conticello

Lastly is Gavin Conticello from the Diamondbacks. Arizona is in a very tough spot right now, losing Corbin Burnes and Justin Martinez. Despite losing two strong arms, they remain in the hunt and could very well have a unique trade deadline to compete in the strong NL West.

Conticello comes in as the 24th-ranked prospect in Arizona, according to MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old outfielder and first baseman currently plays in Double-A and could be getting very close to Triple-A. With Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Diamondbacks could very well move on from this prospect, as he is really blocked off by a strong core.

This season, Conticello has generated a 121 wRC+ with five home runs and a .827 OPS. He has the best numbers right now than he has shown in his entire career, so his turning of a corner could really help him be an underrated find.