In another lost season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s time for yet another reassessment of the Buccos’ roster. 

With there being only nine games remaining of the 2025 MLB season, every player not named Paul Skenes, Bryan Reynolds and perhaps even Oneil Cruz should be analyzed.

What future do they have? How can they contribute to a competitive roster? If they can’t, how can the team recoup assets?

Amidst the struggles for the Pirates is the play behind the plate. Catchers Joey Bart and Henry Davis have split starts throughout the season, but it’s clear that neither are working. Which is why Pittsburgh called up its number-eight prospect, Rafael Flores – the top piece it gathered in the David Bednar trade, for the remainder of the season.

Bart was fresh off a career year last season, where he hit .265 for 13 home runs and 45 RBIs, but beyond that, it’s been nothing but a career of inconsistency. 

This season, his average has dropped 25 points, has only hit three homers all season, and he’s played nine more games than last year.

Not only that, his Baseball Savant page looks like a weekly weather forecast in the middle of January. The majority of his game has been truly ineffective, with exception of drawing walks, and his defense is nothing short of pedestrian.

Davis, on the other hand, seems to bring a little more to the table despite struggling significantly at the plate. His .159 batting average over 82 games has signified that he’s nothing more than a defensive specialist, and players like that tend to have a short shelf life in baseball.

So why not see what the kid, Flores can do?

With an impressive career while playing for both Double-A and Triple-A, it only seemed right. Combined, he’s mounted an impressive season, totaling a .280 average, 22 home runs, 27 doubles, and 88 RBIs.

It may be the minors, but it’s better than what the Pirates currently have.

On Wednesday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs, he was given his first start but at first base, and he quickly impressed. 

Even though Pittsburgh fell to the Cubs, Flores registered his first career MLB hit with a rocket shot to dead center field for a one out double. 

All things considered, with another losing season in the books, the Pirates have nothing to lose by giving Flores an extended look in this final stretch of the season.