{"id":107439,"date":"2025-09-18T17:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T21:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=107439"},"modified":"2025-09-18T17:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T21:29:10","slug":"pirates-roster-moves-flores-perguero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/09\/18\/pirates-roster-moves-flores-perguero\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent Pirates Roster Moves Portend Shaping of 2026 Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, Rafael Flores<\/a> is up and Liover Peguero<\/a> is down in the latest set of Pittsburgh Pirates roster moves. At 65-88, the Pirates are officially out of the pennant race and have been out of it for all practical purposes for a long time. Since the trade deadline, the Pirates have basically been using the games as a tryout camp for 2026. The rookie Flores is the latest to get a trial, while Peguero appears to have flunked his.<\/p>\n

\"The
Feb 14, 2025; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Liover Peguero (31) during spring training workouts at Pirate City. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Flores Up, Peguero Down as Pirates Look to 2026<\/h2>\n

Flores was the headliner of the three-prospect haul the Pirates netted when they traded<\/a> pitcher David Bednar<\/a> to the New York Yankees. At the time, the 24-year-old catcher\/first baseman was the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He\u2019s ranked in the same spot on the Pirates\u2019 prospect list. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has stated that their internal models indicated Flores is a better player than his ranking.<\/p>\n

Big at six-feet-four, 232 pounds, the right-handed hitter was hitting .281\/.363\/.459, 6 HR, and 28 RBI in a month and a half at Triple-A Indianapolis before being selected to the major league roster on Tuesday. Overall, he hit .280\/.354\/.470, 22 HR, and 88 RBI in the minors this year. He made his major league debut on Wednesday at first base against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. He was 1-for-3, including a long double that would have been out of most other ballparks, and a one-hop smash that would have knocked Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson<\/a> clear into Pittsburgh\u2019s South Side had he not gloved it.<\/p>\n

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The Pirates have selected the contract of catcher Rafael Flores. Liover Peguero has been optioned to Triple-A.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) September 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n