Pirates’ catcher crisis made Rafael Flores’ call-up inevitable

When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees for a trio of prospects – none of whom cracked MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list – fans were decidedly (and understandably) displeased.

Catcher and first baseman Rafael Flores was the headliner of the return package, and Pittsburgh fans felt that they should have gotten a better piece than the Yankees' No. 8 prospect who plays a position (catcher) where the Pirates already has a logjam of talent.

Or, do they?

If successful, Rafael Flores may finally convince Pirates to move on from Henry Davis at catcher

The Pirates have called Flores up to the Majors with 10 games remaining in the regular season in a move that says far more about their backstop crisis than it does about the player himself.

Giving credit where it's due, Flores has impressed across the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season, slashing .280/.356/.468 with 27 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs, 88 RBI and an .824 OPS over 133 games. Since joining the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis on August 2, he’s hit .281 with six homers and 28 RBI in just 36 games, ranking ninth in the International League in RBI during that span.

Those numbers make Flores worthy of a shot at the big leagues, but the Pirates giving him an opportunity at this stage is more of a response to their general panic over the catcher position – one that was supposed to be locked down long ago.

When the Pirates selected Henry Davis at No. 1 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, they envisioned a franchise catcher – one who would stabilize the position for the foreseeable future. Fast forward four seasons, and that vision couldn't be further from reality. In fact, Davis has become one of the most disappointing top picks in modern baseball history.

Davis owns a career slash line of .179/.262/.290 with a .552 OPS, and this season has only magnified the problem. Among MLB hitters with at least 250 plate appearances in 2025, Davis ranks dead last in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, and wRC+.

With Davis still struggling this badly and Joey Bart failing to seize the role after a breakout season in 2024, the Pirates may have no choice but to give Flores a legitimate shot at the starting catcher job in 2026 – hence, why they called him up to give him an early look in 2025.

Bart is arbitration-eligible this winter, so the Pirates may opt to non-tender him and avoid having to give him a pay bump next year. Davis, despite showing tremendous improvement defensively from the time he was drafted, simply isn't hitting enough to justify an everydat MLB role.

Flores represents an opportunity for the Pirates to reset at catcher. If he can succeed and offer a balanced profile where Davis and Bart have failed, he could very well be the new face of Pittsburgh's catching future.