After cultivating one of the strongest minor league systems across baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates are getting ready to cash in as buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
Sitting at 50-47 and two games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, the Pirates are a dangerous club that could go on a run due to their potent lineup and starting rotation as long as they adequately upgrade their middling bullpen before the August 3 deadline.
Pittsburgh will have to part ways with some of its young talent in order to do so, and here are five players who could find themselves on the move as a result.
Hunter Barco
Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system by MLB Pipeline and No. 11 by FanGraphs back in early June, Barco has the look and feel of a trade chip.
The Pirates aren’t exactly hurting for young arms with high upside, allowing them the luxury of potentially parting ways with a few of them in order to land a big fish at the deadline.
A second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Barco made his major league debut in 2025 and has thrown a total of 14 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh. His ERA over that span is 6.14, however, and his 4.91 ERA across 40 1/3 minor league frames this season doesn’t inspire much confidence either.
Still, the left-hander’s unorthodox delivery and off-speed stuff should be enough for several clubs to express interest in him over the coming weeks as he begins a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, and the Pirates might just oblige.
Jhostynxon Garcia
Dubbed “The Password”, Garcia arrived in Pittsburgh this past offseason to plenty of fanfare after being sent over from the Boston Red Sox in a trade for Johan Oviedo.
A 2025 Futures Game participant and former Top 100 prospect whom Pipeline views as the No. 4 farmhand in the system, Garcia’s cup of coffee in the majors from May 19 to June 7 this season didn’t go well. He slashed .200/.243/.229 over 35 at-bats, and his numbers for Triple-A Indianapolis (.759 OPS, six home runs) are average at best.
The emergence of young outfielders like Esmerlyn Valdez and Tyler Callihan, coupled with Bryan Reynolds, Jake Mangum and Oneil Cruz (when healthy), Garcia has become a bit more expendable for the Pirates, and he could theoretically serve as a headliner in a sizable trade due to his raw power, rocket of an arm and speed.
Antwone Kelly
In a system that has plenty of intriguing right-handed prospects, Kelly could provide some of the most trade value of the bunch due to his big-league readiness and upside as a reliever.
The 22-year-old made his major league debut in June and has a 10.38 ERA over 4 1/3 total innings for the club while also struggling in Triple-A to the tune of a 4.85 ERA over 17 outings (12 starts) totaling 68 2/3 frames.
Kelly, who’s currently the Pirates’ No. 7 prospect by Pipeline and No. 19 by FanGraphs, is a flamethrower whose fastball sits in the upper 90s and can reach over 100 mph, in addition to a cutter and changeup that both have potential as out pitches with additional refinement.
His K/9 rate has dropped from 9.73 in 2025 to 7.08 in the minors this year, while his BB/9 rate has gone from 2.77 to 4.33, but those numbers should improve if he spends more time in the bullpen.
Duce Gourson
A ninth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft who is now rated as the No. 13 prospect in the system by FanGraphs, Gourson is already a player development win for Pittsburgh.
The UCLA product is slashing .227/.375/.357 with 29 stolen bases over 337 plate appearances for Double-A Altoona this year and has showcased impressive swing decisions with a 16.0 percent walk rate and 20.14 percent chase rate.
As an athletic infielder who has played first base, second base and third base, Gourson could fetch a quality back-end reliever as the headliner of a package or be a secondary piece in a more wide-ranging deal.
Easton Carmichael
Pittsburgh has quite a few notable catching prospects, including Rafael Flores Jr., Omar Alfonzo, Axiel Plaz and Edgleen Perez.
Carmichael is a part of that group as well, as the 22-year-old is slashing .307/.352/.523 with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 68 games for High-A Greensboro.
Even if he’s a below-average hitter long-term with some pop despite his minor league numbers suggesting otherwise, the 2025 third-rounder will provide more than enough value as a starter or high-level backup behind the plate due to his strong defense.
Catchers are always in demand, and Carmichael’s high floor could very well lead to him being shipped out at the deadline due to a potentially high volume of inquiries from sellers around the league.
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