Perrotto: One Glaring Hole Still Exists in Pirates’ Lineup (+)
SAN DIEGO — Lost in all the Bryan Reynolds trade talk and the Pittsburgh Pirates filling a big hole at first baseman with not one but two players, is that they still have a glaring need.
The Pirates have exactly one catcher on their 40-man roster. That is Endy Rodriguez.
Granted, Rodriguez is considered the Pirates’ top prospect by many analysts. He is coming off a strong season in which he was named MVP of the South Atlantic League while shining for High-A Greensboro.
However, Rodriguez is going to start next season in the minor leagues. That is not a surprise pronouncement, but Pirates manager Derek Shelton made it official Monday during baseball’s Winter Meetings at the Manchester Hyatt.
The Pirates aren’t that close to filling the void behind the plate. General manager Ben Cherington once again Monday said he has no urgency in adding a catcher.
The Pirates don’t need a catcher for the long haul. Rodriguez and fellow prospect Henry Davis figure to make their major league debuts sometime during the 2023 season.
However, the Pittsburgh Pirates need someone to man the position to start next season. They need someone to help stabilize a young pitching staff and serve as a mentor to the young catchers.
Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman finished last season as the Pirates’ catching combination.
Both were dropped from the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason. Delay remains in the organization while Heineman is a free agent.
Cherington wouldn’t rule out re-signing Heineman and going with him and Delay in 2023. It’s hard to believe the Pirates would go into the season with a duo that hit a combined .212 last season.
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That also runs counter to what the Pirates have done this winter. They improved first base and designated hitter by signing Carlos Santana as a free agent and trading for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Ji Man Choi.
Cherington also said Monday the Pirates have the financial flexibility to possibly add two veterans to a young starting rotation.
Considering all that, it seems odd the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t have more urgency in finding a legitimate big-league catcher.
There are reasonably priced options on the free agent market, including Jorge Alfaro, Tucker Barnhart, Austin Hedges, Omar Narvaez, and Mike Zunino. Even a reunion with Roberto Perez might be worth exploring, though his injury history is a concern.
“We’ll prioritize a combination of the defensive part of the game again and trying to be able to match up offensively with competitive at-bats,” Cherington said. “We feel good about the strength of the position generally in the organization. Probably mostly focused on strengthening the position if we can in 2023 without putting up a massive brick wall in front of younger guys. We’ll see what comes to us.”
Maybe the Pirates plan on putting up a massive brick wall behind home plate at PNC Park in 2023 in lieu of a catcher until Rodriguez and Davis arrive.
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