Pirates Option Flores, Garcia to Indianapolis as Opening Day Roster Takes Shape

Pittsburgh trimmed its big-league camp to 37 players this week as a wave of final Spring Training cuts sent several notable names to Triple-A Indianapolis, with Rafael Flores set to be optioned, Jhostynxon Garcia and Tyler Callihan already dispatched, catcher Endy Rodríguez formally assigned to the minors, and top prospect Konnor Griffin redirected to minor league camp.

The Rodríguez decision carried the sharpest contrast. The 25-year-old catcher hit .308 across 10 spring training games and was part of the Pirates' Opening Day starting lineup last season, though he played first base at that point. Despite a productive spring, Pittsburgh optioned him to Indianapolis on March 19, dropping the active roster in big-league camp to 36, with right-handed pitcher Jared Jones occupying a spot on the 60-day injured list accounting for the 37th.

Infielder Alika Williams was also expected to begin the 2026 season at Indianapolis, adding another layer to a significant reshuffling at the Triple-A level.

The developmental calculus behind the decisions was framed plainly in outside analysis: both Rodríguez and Flores could develop into better hitters than Davis and Bart, who struggled in 2025, but they'll need to show that at Indianapolis before they'll get a shot in Pittsburgh.

Griffin's reassignment carried its own weight given his profile. The shortstop is only 19 years old and had been ranked as baseball's top prospect heading into camp. His move to minor league camp was expected given his age, but it closed the book on any outside speculation about an accelerated path to Pittsburgh.

The roster reductions did not begin this week. Pittsburgh's first round of cuts came on March 8, when infielder Jack Brannigan and right-handed reliever Ryan Harbin were optioned to Indianapolis. A fourth round on March 16 sent infielder Enmanuel Valdez to Indianapolis and reassigned Dominic Fletcher to minor league camp. The fifth round, executed March 17, moved right-handed pitchers Beau Burrows, Michael Darrell-Hicks, Noah Davis, and Noah Murdock to minor league camp while left-handed reliever Evan Sisk was optioned to Indianapolis.

In total, Pittsburgh cut 27 players from Major League Camp across the spring. The club now sits at 37 in big-league camp, with the active group at 36 as Opening Day approaches and the roster decisions entering their final stage.