The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to be active before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but one name appears to be off limits: Seth Hernandez.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic, other MLB teams have been asking about the Pirates’ top prospect, the right-handed pitcher they took with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif. But The Athletic also reported that Pittsburgh is “unlikely” to move him, even if the return is San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller.
That stance makes sense given what Hernandez has already shown. When healthy in 2026, the 20-year-old put together a strong season across Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro, going 6-1 in 18 starts with a 2.43 ERA over 74.0 innings. He struck out 118, walked 31, posted a .181 BAA and finished with a 1.05 WHIP.
Hernandez also got a bigger stage this summer, representing the Pirates in the National League at the Futures Game alongside Greensboro teammate Edward Florentino.
The appeal is obvious. Hernandez has a pitch mix that draws attention: a near 100-mph four-seam fastball, a faster slider, a changeup with incredible movement and a curveball that works in a similar way. That kind of arsenal is exactly why rival clubs are going to keep asking.
There is one complication, though. Hernandez is dealing with a left oblique injury that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season. Even so, teams still see him as a future rotation anchor, which is why Pittsburgh is not eager to include him in a deal for bullpen help.
The Pirates are looking to strengthen their relief corps, and Miller naturally fits that conversation. But moving a premium prospect for a closer or reliever is a steep price, especially when Miller himself would require a major return if San Diego were to make him available. The Padres dealt him at last year’s deadline in a package that included shortstop Leo De Vries, the second-best prospect in baseball.
Miller would bring years of team control through the end of the decade, and he is widely viewed as the best closer in baseball. Still, Pittsburgh is not expected to sacrifice Hernandez for a “rental” or any other relief pitcher.
If the Pirates do add bullpen help, it could come from elsewhere in the system. Florentino, third baseman Murf Gray and shortstop Wyatt Sanford are among the other prospects who could come into play.
Cherington has a big deadline ahead of him, but if Hernandez is moved, it would be a major surprise.
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One name that keeps coming up in that equation is Seth Hernandez, and the sense around the industry is that the Pirates are drawing a firm line there. Even with outside interest and the kind of market that can tempt a club to listen, Pittsburgh views him as too important to move lightly, especially while the front office weighs whether the right kind of major-league return is even out there. [Read more 🡒]