Perrotto: How to Develop Two Prospects for One Job (+)
The Pittsburgh Pirates, unquestionably, have a good problem.
The organization possesses two catchers considered among the top prospects in baseball and close to the major leagues. However, since only one player can man the position, how do the Pirates get more game experience and developmental time for Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis?
The Pirates haven’t decided where Rodriguez and Davis will be assigned when the minor-league season begins next month, though the best guess is the former will be at Triple-A Indianapolis and the latter at Double-A Altoona.
Rodriguez, 22, ended last season with a six-game stint at Indianapolis after playing in 88 games for High-A Greensboro and 31 for Altoona.
Davis, 23, also appeared in 31 games with Altoona last season following stints with three other farm clubs. He was limited to 59 games overall because of a broken left wrist then played in 17 games in the Arizona Fall League.
General manager Ben Cherington knows he and farm director John Baker have some interesting decisions. Much of their decision-making process will center around one factor as they decide how to handle the development of both Rodriguez and Davis beyond just the opening portion of this season.
“It starts with how much should they actually catch physically and how that changes over time,” Cherington said recently during the Pirates’ spring training camp in Bradenton, Fla.
Cherington thinks back to when he was working for the Boston Red Sox and they drafted Christian Vasquez in the eighth round in 2008 from Puerto Rico. It took Vazquez a long time to develop from a 17-year-old to reaching the major leagues in 2014 to now playing for the Minnesota Twins and entering his ninth big-league season.
“I literally remember the first (rookie-level) Gulf Coast League game he played in,” Cherington said. “I don’t think he was supposed to catch five innings. It was hard to make it through five innings. It’s a demanding position. Christian Vazquez has had a terrific career and he’s one of my favorites. I think you start there.
“How much should they be behind the plate, given where they are age-wise, what they’re working on? Obviously, that needs to work over time, so that when they’re hitting the big leagues it’s someone we think can be a primary guy. They’re ready to do 100, 120 games.”
Both Rodriguez and Davis are considered bat-first players who must still develop the defensive part of their games.
The biggest issue with Rodriguez’s work behind the plate is that he is inconsistent in framing pitches. However, that weakness could be mitigated if – when? — Major League Baseball adopts an automated ball-strike system.
Rodriguez improved his receiving and blocking last season. He also threw out 45% of runners attempting to steal during his time at Altoona after nabbing just 17% in 2021.
While Davis has a very strong arm, he is inconsistent with the accuracy of his throws. His framing and receiving skills also lag.
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How quickly Rodriguez and Davis progress behind the plate will play a large role in the speed of their development curve.
“There are more skills to develop, but it wouldn’t be different than any other player,” Cherington said. “We’re just trying to prioritize defensively what’s the skill that we’re trying to turn up now, what can we wait on? Let’s focus on that.
“Offensively, the same thing. Again, the difference with catchers is the defensive part of the game comes with more responsibility. You’ve got not only the technical skills of catching, but game prep, the relationship with pitchers. We consider catchers part of our pitching coach group really. They’re included in all the same meetings our pitchers would be involved in. So, they’ve got a lot on their plate.”
Scouts believe both can be above-average hitters at the major league level.
Rodriguez batted .323/.407/.590 with 25 home runs last season.
Davis has been limited to 67 games in two professional seasons because of injuries since being the first overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft. He has a .269/.381/.508 slash line with 13 homers.
Both have fallback options if they don’t pan out as catchers.
Rodriguez has also played first base, second base and all three outfield positions as a pro. Many scouts believe Davis projects as a potential major-league right fielder because of his arm strength.
However, both players would retain their move value by staying behind the plate. Now it’s up to the Pirates to continue developing Rodriguez and Davis at the position.
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