The Pirates need a catcher.
And I mean, they really need a catcher.
In August, they released pending free agent Francisco Cervelli. In October, they outrighted Steven Baron, a journeyman backup, off the roster. He later elected free agency over a minor league assignment. And on Monday, they non-tendered Elias Diaz. Diaz was once considered the catcher of the future, but a disastrous 2019 ended that dream. It was another move where Ben Cherington let go of a low upside player.
That leaves just Jacob Stallings on the roster. Stallings is, by all accounts, a terrific defensive catcher and a very good backup. If it came to it, he could probably even do pretty well splitting time 50-50 with someone else. But there's the problem: There is nobody else to share the load. The Pirates do not have a real catching prospect anywhere close to the majors, meaning they will need to bring in someone from outside the organization.
The winter meetings are next week, so there is a good chance we will hear the Pirates connected to some catchers on either the free agent or trade market soon. These are 10 players who could fit the bill.
FREE AGENTS
This is the easiest way to fill the gap, at least in the short term. While the top two free agent catchers, Yasmani Grandal and Travis d'Arnaud, have already signed, there are still some good veterans available. Everyone on this list should be looking for a one or two year deal at an affordable rate and could bring something to the Pirates.
Alex Avila: When the Diamondbacks signed Avila to a two year deal in 2017, they were getting a catcher who hit enough to make up for his sub-par glove. Now Avila is regarded as a good glove and a light hitter. That's baseball for you.
Avila had an embarrassingly low .184 batting average with the Diamondbacks, but he still had a .324 OBP because of a terrific walk rate. He finally learned to frame pitches in his time in the desert, making him a much better receiver. All told, every aspect of his game grades out as fairly average.
Avila is not going to be anyone's first choice this winter, but he could be had for a couple million and will produce roughly 1.5 WAR in a semi-starter's role. While that is hardly exciting, it is reliable.
Jason Castro: For my money, Castro was the second best free agent catcher available this winter, behind Grandal.
He has been bit by the injury bug the last two years, but he was reliable with both the bat and the glove in his 75 games played in 2019. He has been one of the best pitch framers for years now, and while he struggled blocking pitches and controlling the running game last year, you have to wonder how much of that was due to him working himself back from a 2018 knee injury. He brings a little pop, a good glove and a solid reputation for being able to work with his pitching staff. The injuries make him a risky pickup, but he has definite upside.
Castro has been with the Twins the past three seasons, so new manager Derek Shelton knows what he can bring to the table.
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