PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have sent standout reliever David Bednar to the New York Yankees in a trade that brings three prospects to Pittsburgh.
According to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, the Pirates received catcher/first baseman prospects Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, along with outfielder Brian Sanchez.
MLB Pipeline ranks Flores and Perez as the eighth and 14th top prospects in the Yankees’ farm system, respectively, but does not rank Sanchez. Baseball America, however, ranks Sanchez 24th overall.
Flores, from Anaheim, California, played at Cypress Junior College (2019–2020), took 2021 off, and returned with Rio Honda Junior College in 2022. He excelled with the Alaska Goldpanners and signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent for $75,000. In 2022, he played four games with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Yankees before spending 2023 with High-A Hudson Valley, slashing .259/.346/.366 (.712 OPS) over 105 games, with 99 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 41 RBIs, 49 walks, and 108 strikeouts. He played 57 games at first base, 33 at catcher, and 15 as designated hitter.
In 2024, Flores started with Hudson Valley, slashing .285/.403/.466 (.869 OPS) in 57 games, earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset on June 26, where he slashed .274/.359/.519 (.878 OPS) in 65 games. Overall, he slashed .279/.379/.495 (.874 OPS) in 122 games, with 121 hits, 31 doubles, 21 home runs, 68 RBIs, 66 walks, and 128 strikeouts, playing 69 games at catcher, 38 at first base, and 16 as designated hitter.
In 2025, he began with Somerset, slashing .287/.346/.496 (.842 OPS) with 96 hits, 23 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, 30 walks, and 94 strikeouts. Promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 19, he slashed .211/.388/.289 (.677 OPS) in 10 games, with eight hits, one home run, four RBIs, 11 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Flores, turning 25 in November, stands 6-foot-4, 232 pounds, and has played 70 games at catcher this season.
Perez, signed from Venezuela for $50,000 on March 23, 2023, played for the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Yankees in 2023, slashing .259/.389/.317 (.706 OPS) in 39 games, with 36 hits, eight doubles, 29 RBIs, 30 walks, and 31 strikeouts. In 2024, with the FCL Yankees, he slashed .283/.444/.380 (.824 OPS) in 51 games, with 47 hits, eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 24 RBIs, 45 walks, and 35 strikeouts. At Single-A Tampa, he slashed .209/.368/.236 (.604 OPS) with 63 hits, eight doubles, 25 RBIs, 68 walks, and 74 strikeouts. Perez, who turned 19 on May 25, stands 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, and has played 112 games at catcher and 61 as designated hitter.
Sanchez, also from Venezuela, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on February 7, 2023. He played for the Brewers’ DSL 1 team in 2023, slashing .297/.414/.446 (.860 OPS) in 33 games, with 30 hits, seven doubles, four triples, 19 RBIs, 20 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Traded to the Yankees with outfielder Jace Avina for designated hitter Jake Bauers on November 17, 2023, Sanchez played for the FCL Yankees in 2024, slashing .306/.394/.514 (.908 OPS) in 49 games, with 53 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 32 RBIs, 23 walks, 41 strikeouts, and 16 steals in 19 attempts. In 2025, with Single-A Tampa, he slashed .281/.373/.438 (.811 OPS) in 63 games, with 68 hits, 16 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 36 RBIs, 36 walks, 67 strikeouts, and 24 steals in 28 attempts.
The Pirates also acquired shortstop Sammy Stafura from the Cincinnati Reds and right-handed pitcher Jeter Martinez from the Seattle Mariners.
Source: SI.com
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