Perrotto: Henry Davis Needs a Fresh Start

It is hard to find fault with the decision.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are going with Endy Rodriguez over Henry Davis as their backup catcher. The Pirates announced late Saturday night that Davis had been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, effectively putting Rodriguez second on the catching depth chart behind Joey Bart.

Rodriguez is a better player than Davis and can also play first base. The position versatility is important because the projected starting first baseman, Spencer Horwitz, is recovering from hand surgery.

So, if the Pirates are serious about wanting to win this season, then they made the right choice. Whether the Pirates are ever serious about winning is a column for another day, but we’ll take them at their word with the start of the 2025 season just three days away.

However, the time has come to wonder if Davis has a future with the Pirates. They made him the first overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft, and he has failed to live up to expectations during his time in the major leagues.

The 25-year-old Davis has hit .191/.283/.307 with eight home runs in 99 games over parts of the last two seasons. He has a negative-2.1 bWAR. Furthermore, has minus-4 defensive runs saved in 36 games as a catcher and minus-9 DRS in 49 games as a right fielder.

So, Davis will go to Indianapolis to continue to work on his game, with the Pirates still insisting he can be a big part of the future. However, can Davis gain much by playing at the Triple-A level again?

Davis feasted on International League pitching in 71 games with Indianapolis in 2023 and 2024. His Triple-A slash line is .320/.424/.564 and he has hit 15 home runs in 266 at-bats.

Davis was so-so in Grapefruit League play this spring. He hit two doubles and two home runs in 36 at-bats while slashing .250/.289/.472. It wasn’t enough to make the opening-day roster.

It will be interesting to see where Davis goes from here.

Does he get over the disappointment, rake in Indy again, and position himself for another call-up should something happen to Bart or Rodriguez? Or does he get discouraged about spending at least part of a third straight season in Triple-A?

No one has ever questioned Davis’ work ethic. He is always one of the first players at the ballpark daily and one of the last to leave. Davis is constantly doing extra work, whether it’s time in the batting cage or honing his defense.

Yet it’s hard to know what Davis’ morale will be like. He is a very intense guy, and going back to the minors will be difficult, especially for someone with the pedigree of being a 1-1 draft pick.

It might be too early to write off Davis as the hitting version of Bryan Bullington, the pitcher the Pirates chose with the first overall pick in the 2002 draft. Bullington won only one game in the major leagues – none with the Pirates – and only found success after going to Japan and pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball.

However, it isn’t too soon to wonder if Davis needs a fresh start in a different organization. He is not just behind Bart and Rodriguez on the Pirates’ catching hierarchy, but Jason Delay, another major-league caliber catcher, will be at Indianapolis.

Davis might not need to go to Japan to find success. Yet it’s becoming increasingly unlikely he will find it with the Pirates.