How all the Pirates dealt at 2025 MLB trade deadline are performing with new teams

The Pittsburgh Pirates' 2025 trade deadline was interesting, to say the least. Many were (rightfully) disappointed by the moves made by general manager Ben Cherington. He traded fan favorites, some of whom were under control for multiple seasons, and didn't seem to fully commit to making the 2026 roster better, despite that apparently being a goal prior to the deadline.

The Pirates also reportedly aimed high in some trade talks, but failed to secure even a single top-100 prospect in their search. It has been about a month since the deadline, so fans have gotten a chance to see how the large (but not large enough) group of players the Pirates dealt have fared with other teams. Here's the latest, heading into the September stretch run.

How former Pirates dealt at the 2025 MLB trade deadline are performing with their new teams

David Bednar

The David Bednar swap caused a ton of heat, and for a good reason. The three-player return the Pirates received felt light, and one of the three players hasn't played since July 18, that being Brian Sanchez. Since then, he has been all but ruled out for the entire rest of the season. Bednar didn't just rebound this season, but re-established himself as one of the best closing pitchers in baseball. The Pirates had a hot commodity on their hands, and didn't act like it.

Bednar pitched 38 innings prior to the trade, working to an outstanding 2.37 ERA, 1.99 FIP, and 1.11 WHIP. He was striking out nearly a third of opponents with a 33.1% K%, and was only handing out walks at a 6.5% rate. After struggling with the long ball in 2024, the right-hander had just an 0.47 HR/9 in Pittsburgh this season.

Even this level of praise undersells Bednar's season. Three of the 10 earned runs he allowed all came in his first three games of the season. After he was sent to Triple-A to work on things, Bednar had just a 1.70 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, along with a 34.5% K%, and 5.5% walk rate. He was one of only five pitchers during this stretch to post a sub-2.00 ERA while striking out at least a third of opponents. 

Since the Yankees acquired Bednar, he has been just as good as advertised. It's only been 11.1 innings, and the Renegade has already struck out 19 batters. He has allowed four earned runs and five walks, but those are minor blips on the radar. Bednar has only recorded three saves in ten appearances, but he is arguably the Yankees' best option for the ninth inning as they head into the Postseason. Bednar could very well be the Yankees' closer in 2026 as well, given he is under control for one more season after 2025.

Ke'Bryan Hayes

The downfall of Ke'Bryan Hayes in Pittsburgh was brutal to watch. After looking like he found something that worked for him in 2023, Hayes put up a 60 wRC+, .573 OPS, and .256 wOBA in 2024. His performance at the plate wasn't the most worrying aspect of his 2024 season. Hayes played just 96 games, missing a large chunk of time due to back issues, including a herniated disc. 

Hayes entered 2025 with massive question marks, given his back problems, and his first 392 plate appearances looked like more of the same from 2024. He turned in a meager .236/.279/.290 line, with a .254 wOBA and 54 wRC+. He may have only struck out 20.4% of the time, but he walked in just 5.4% of his plate appearances as well. Hayes' power looked completely gone, as he hit just two home runs with a .054 isolated slugging percentage. Hayes' once elite exit velocity fell to just about slightly over league average, settling at a middling 90.1 MPH. 

That's when the Pirates shipped Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds for Sammy Stafura and Taylor Rogers (who the Pirates dealt soon after). Hayes' numbers with the Reds so far have been a step forward from his time with the Pirates this year, albeit still not great. The third baseman is slashing .238/.307/.404, with a .309 wOBA and 92 wRC+ over 88 plate appearances. He is also currently on a 0-for-13 streak with six strikeouts and only two walks in 15 plate appearances.

Hayes' defense hasn't been a problem this year. He has +16 defensive runs saved and +18 outs above average. Both rank in the top five among all players this year, and are league-best marks at the hot corner. Hayes is the only player with double-digit DRS at third base so far this year, and is leading the pack in OAA by a mile. The next closest is Maikel Garcia with just 10.

That isn't concrete proof that Hayes has suddenly found something that works for him. He has still been very up-and-down, with a 7 wRC+ over his first 30 plate appearances, then a hot streak for 13 games/47 trips to the plate before again experiencing another cold spell. That was even the case with the Pirates this year, as he went on a 12-game hit streak with them before cooling down. However, even an 80 wRC+ would represent an improvement over his performance in the last two seasons in Pittsburgh. We'll see how he fares in the long run, as Hayes is under control through 2030.

Bailey Falter

Bailey Falter getting dealt was another trade that many were not happy with, at least at the time. Originally acquired around the 2023 trade deadline from the Philadelphia Phillies for Rodolfo Castro, Falter developed into a solid back-of-the-rotation arm for the Pirates. When the Pirates sent Falter to the Kansas City Royals for Callan Moss and Evan Sisk, the lefty had a 3.73 ERA, 4.90 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP. 

While his ERA looked good, it didn't come without any significant red flags. He had a 15.3% K% and an 8.5% walk rate. His 6.8% K%-BB% was the second-worst in baseball. Falter was also susceptible to the long ball and hard contact, with a 1.35 HR/9 ratio, 90.4 MPH exit velocity, and 9.5% barrel rate. Falter had just a 4.99 xFIP and 5.12 SIERA. Aside from a stunning May, where he allowed just three earned runs in 35.2 innings, Falter has pitched poorly in every other month of this season; his next-lowest ERA in any given month was 4.10 during July.

It has been nothing but ugliness for Falter since getting dealt to the Royals. He has only tossed a dozen frames, but has dished out seven free passes and 15 earned runs. So far, all four of his appearances in a Royals uniform have ended with multiple earned runs scored on his ledger. Falter's first two starts were so poor that the Royals opted to move him to the bullpen in favor of veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

The 2025 trade deadline was frustrating for Pirates fans, but this might be one the Bucs make away like bandits with. It's still way too early to tell, but Callan Moss has done nothing but demolish High-A pitching, and Evan Sisk has pitched for the Pirates in the Major Leagues already. The Pirates were rumored to have planned to non-tender Falter this offseason, and that might still hold true with the Royals, given how poorly he has pitched since the deadline, and the Royals' deep pitching depth chart.

Adam Frazier

Pirates fans were unhappy that the team dealt away very few of their rentals, but one they did trade was Adam Frazier. When the Pirates re-signed Frazier this offseason, many weren't impressed. He struggled badly after the Pirates traded him the first time at the 2021 deadline, and his first month and a half of the season only reinforced this. Through May 10, Frazier was hitting just .223/.290/.304 with a .264 wOBA and 65 wRC+. He may have had a strong 16.1% K%, but walked at a below-average rate of 7.3%.

However, Frazier began to resemble more of his vintage self again after this moment in time. His next 138 plate appearances yielded a .285/.343/.366 triple-slash, with a .312 wOBA and 97 wRC+. He was striking out more (18.1% K%) and walking less (5.3% K%), but was getting more hits and reaching base at a higher rate. The only thing that held him back from posting a 100 or greater wRC+ was his lack of power, but for a platoon glove-first utility man, his production was perfectly fine.

The Pirates then shipped Frazier out before the end of the All-Star break to the Kansas City Royals for infielder Cam Devanney. Frazier has continued to produce solid numbers with the bat, with a .307/.339/.425 triple-slash, .331 wOBA, and 108 wRC+. He still has a mediocre 4.8% walk rate, but has struck out in just 14.8% of his 115 trips to the plate. He has also raised his isolated slugging percentage above .100; it currently sits at .123.

Frazier was always known for his versatility, and has been used in a number of roles this year. His primary position is second base, but he has logged a handful of innings at third base, left field, and right field. Frazier's glove isn't what it was during his first stint with the Pirates, but he has shown recent defensive improvement, compared to previous seasons. This year, he grades out as an average to slightly above-average defender at all four positions he has manned.

Frazier has helped the Royals go on a hot streak in August. They now sit just three games out of a Wild Card spot. Frazier performing well on a team that's hot may not be the most frustrating part of this deal. Frazier wasn't doing horribly with the Pirates at the time they traded him, and his surge isn't too surprising. The Pirates' continued refusal to give Devanney a chance in the Major Leagues, despite having opportunities to do so, is much more aggravating.

Caleb Ferguson

Another rental the Pirates moved was left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson. The veteran hurler proved to be a solid bullpen addition for the Pirates after they signed him to a one-year contract last winter. He had a 3.74 ERA, 3.17 FIP, and 1.08 WHIP in 43.1 innings for the Bucs. While he saw a reduction in K% to 19.3% this season, he also only walked 8% of his opponents. What was most impressive about his time in black and gold was his ability to limit soft contact.

The southpaw held opponents to just an 83.5 MPH exit velocity, 25.2% hard hit rate, and 3.3% barrel rate. He led all qualified relievers in exit velocity, was second in hard-hit rate, and was ninth in barrel rate up until the time of the trade. Ferguson allowed just a single home run, and it took him just over 40 innings until he allowed his first dinger of the season on July 22.

Ferguson was then dealt to the Seattle Mariners for hard-throwing young right-hander Jeter Martinez. Since leaving for the AL, he has allowed five earned runs in 11 innings, with seven strikeouts and only three walks. The lefty has allowed another home run since being sent to Seattle, but continues to be hard to barrel up. Ferguson has lowered his barrel rate even further (to 2.7%) while keeping up a similar 29.7% hard-hit rate. His exit velocity has gone up slightly to 87.6 MPH, however.

Even if the Pirates didn't deal many of their other rentals, they at least got back a decent return for Ferguson. Martinez is a high-ceiling pitcher, and the Pirates have done well at developing those over the last few years. Ferguson has continued to be a solid middle reliever for the Mariners, as they look to secure the American League West division.