MLB Rumors: Cardinals roadblock, Pirates waiting game, Verlander out?
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Pirates are lacking at the catcher position
April and early May were a long, long time ago for Pittsburgh Pirates fans. This team started red-hot, a shocking 20-8 in fact, but has since come crashing back down to earth. Another loss on Friday night to start the second half, this time to the San Francisco Giants, has fans wondering why some of the system’s most major league-ready prospects are still sitting in the minors.
Austin Hedges was among the team’s few free agent signings this past offseason. While his pitch framing and handling of the staff has been admirable at times, he and Jason Delay have provided virtually nothing with the bat in their hands. A change is needed, and it will not come in the form of Henry Davis, who has oddly spent most of his time in the outfield since being called up to the big leagues.
Endy Rodriguez, who is playing catcher for the Pirates Triple-A team in Indianapolis right now, has been solid all season long and is the No. 3 prospect in the system. At 23 years old, he’s likely to receive a call-up soon, but by then it will likely be too late for Pittsburgh to make any noise in the NL Central.
Asked Derek Shelton if the Pirates were considering allocating catching reps differently: "No. Not right now were not.”
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) July 15, 2023
It should be noted that Endy Rodriguez hit a grand slam last night.
Catcher remains the biggest point of frustration for Pirates fans, who would prefer just to see their best major-league product on the field. No, Pittsburgh isn’t expected to compete until 2024 or 2025, but continuing to roll out a lineup featuring Hedges or Delay is downright disastrous, and just asking to lose ballgames.