The Pirates don’t have a lot of variety to choose from in the catching category. It’s a position they failed miserably in developing and stocking with potential Major League starters in recent years. Instead they have a bunch of guys who are essentially the same light-hitting, defense only guy. With that said, it’s not the worst thing for the Pirates right now. In this period of rebuild, these guys are important in the development of their young pitchers.
The Best
Jacob Stallings is set up to be the primary catcher this year. He’s shown that he can hit better than originally expected, so that puts him well ahead of the others in camp. What he really brings is a familiarity with the pitchers in camp and the ability to call a good game. The only reason I don’t have him as a lock to start is the possibility he could be traded. He could be an attractive option for a team who has catching injuries. Since Ben Cherington is constantly looking to add talent, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Stallings could go elsewhere in exchange for a prospect.
Michael Perez is one of two guys in competition for the back-up spot behind Stallings. Coming over on a waiver claim from Tamp Bay this off-season, Perez is similar to Stallings in that he’s known for his defense and not his bat. He saw action in the last three seasons and complied a .221 career batting average. He does have options left, so he could start the year in AAA.
Tony Wolters is in camp as a non-roster invitee. A career .238 hitter over the the last 5 seasons in Colorado, Wolters is in competition with Perez to be the back-up behind Stallings. I really think it is anyone’s game. Wolters is another defensively strong catcher who can handle a young staff. Since Perez has options, I think Wolters may have an edge.
The Rest
Andrew Susac and Joe Hudson are essentially the same guy. As good defensively as the others mentioned above, they lack the bat skills that the others do. They’ll serve as depth in the minors.
Christian Kelley, Arden Pabst, and Jason Delay are similar to Susac and Hudson in their skill set, but haven’t seen Major League action yet. Of these three, I like Kelley the most and believe he’ll see action with the Pirates at some point in the future. I think his bat has the highest ceiling. The others are good enough behind the plate that they could see the Majors if the injury bug bites the catching ranks hard.
There is no flash here. These are all like having an extra coach on the field working with a bunch of young and developing arms. At this point in time, it isn’t the worst thing to have.
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