The Pittsburgh Pirates will enter 2025 with the catcher position as perhaps its most stable, but questions will still remain. One thing seems certain. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington won’t be looking to add a free-agent catcher this offseason. This should draw a collective sigh of relief from the Pirates’ faithful who had to endure watching the likes of Austin Hedges and Yasmani Grandal. They’ve had their fill of “mentors” who struggle to hit their weight.
Pirates Go Into 2025 With Internal Options at Catcher (For Once)
The Pirates entered 2024 expecting Grandal and former No. 1 draft choice Henry Davis to share duties behind the dish. Then the unexpected happened on April 2. With the season underway and Grandal sidelined with plantar fasciitis, Cherington pulled off a trade, acquiring Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants for a minor leaguer. Bart, himself a former No. 1 draft choice, never lived up to the hype with San Francisco and by 2023 became persona non grata when Patrick Bailey emerged as the Giants’ top catcher. Cherington had long coveted Bart and reportedly tried to acquire him before signing Grandal to a one-year deal. All Bart did for the Pirates was hit .265/.337/.462, 13 HR, 45 RBI, and 120 OPS+ in 80 games while seizing the starting catching job.
Bart frequently hit third or fourth in the Pirates’ order. But he shouldn’t be judged against other number-three or -four hitters in the major leagues. He hit in those slots because the Pirates’ weak offense didn’t leave manager Derek Shelton with much of a choice. By the standards of what a team would look for in a catcher, the right-handed hitting Bart did just fine. One might think Bart enters spring training in 2025 as the favorite to be the starting catcher for the Pirates. Or does he?
It’s Complicated
Complicating matters is the return of Endy Rodriguez after spending virtually all of 2024 on the injured list. He persevered enough to make a surprising rehab assignment in September.
Endy Rodriguez is here tonight! pic.twitter.com/82uHTsTAPJ
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) September 10, 2024
It was Rodriguez who won the starting catcher position in 2023 after being recalled from the minors. Highly regarded as a prospect, the switch-hitting catcher came to Pittsburgh in a three-team 2021 deal that netted All-Star closer David Bednar and three other prospects. Rodriguez was called up in mid-July of 2023, about a month after Davis. Cherington and Shelton paid lip service to the notion that Rodriguez and Davis would share time behind the plate. But it was Rodriguez who saw the bulk of the action there, while Davis caught just two meaningless innings while struggling to adapt to right field.
In 2023, Rodriguez hit .220/.284/.328, 3 HR, and 13 RBI in 57 games. But he continued to play regularly because, under the Cherington/Shelton regime, defense has been highly valued at the catcher position. It was there that Rodriguez shone. He caught 30 percent of would-be base stealers, well above the 19 percent MLB average. He was worth 4.1 Fielding Runs Above Average, according to FanGraphs.
An Interesting Dilemma
Bart and Rodriguez present the 2025 Pirates with an interesting dilemma as far as who should be the primary catcher. Rodriguez also plays first base, second base, and right field. It’s been suggested across the internet that Rodriguez could be installed as the Pirates’ first baseman so that both he and Bart could be in the lineup at the same time. Indeed, across three minor league levels in 2022, Rodriguez hit .323/.407/.590, 25 HR, and 95 RBI. If he could translate that kind of offense to the big time, that would be quite adequate for a major league first baseman. But let’s pump the brakes on that idea. Rodriguez hit 16 of those homers at High-A Greensboro. That 25-level home run power has never been on display at any higher level, let alone the majors.
It Could Get Even More Complicated
If Davis reaches the potential expected of him, that could complicate matters rather pleasantly for Pittsburgh. In 2023, he hit .213/.302/.351 in 62 games. It wasn’t what the Pirates were looking for from him, but at least his seven home runs were promising. However, he took a significant backward step in 2024. One might call it a backward leap. He hit just .144/.242/.212 with one home run and a 28 OPS+ for the Pirates. Bob Uecker parlayed that kind of offensive production into a career as a comedian and broadcaster. Davis was much better in the minors, however, hitting .299/.396/.540, 13 HR, and 43 RBI in 59 games at two levels. Leaving no stone unturned, the Pirates remain committed to helping him become a solid major-league hitter and catcher.
The Last Word
The days are gone when Johnny Bench or Jason Kendall would catch almost an entire schedule. The prediction here is that we’ll see a left-right catcher platoon for the 2025 Pirates. We’ll see Rodriguez against right-handed pitching and Bart against left-handed pitching. Rodriguez’s splits indicate he’s a better hitter from the left-handed batter’s box. Shelton doesn’t like to use the same catcher when a day game follows a night game, so Bart might see some time against right-handed pitching. I think we’ll see plenty of both catchers. I predict Davis and perennial depth option Jason Delay will begin the 2025 season in the minors.
Davis has a long uphill climb to break camp with the 2025 Pirates. At best, he might convince them to keep him as a bench bat. In these days of expanded pitching staffs, it’s hard for a team to carry three catchers. But it might be possible, given Rodriguez’s versatility, not to mention Davis’s familiarity with right field, however vague. In any event, the best use of Davis might be as trade bait for an outfielder. His trade value might be questionable at this stage, however.
Photo Credit: © David Banks-Imagn Images
