Position of paradox: Pirates have decisions to make at catcher when Yasmani Grandal returns

The catcher position has been a paradox for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The defensive whiz who won the starting job last year is out for the season after injuring his elbow swinging a bat. The two-time All-Star brought in for veteran leadership has been sidelined since spring training. The backup brought back for stability is out for six weeks. The No. 1 overall draft pick brought up for his bat isn’t hitting. The No. 2 overall draft pick brought in for his defense has been raking.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who scrambled to shore up the position, will soon have a difficult decision to make when Yasmani Grandal is ready to return from a rehabilitation assignment.

Not that Cherington appears overly concerned, given the Pirates’ previous predicaments behind the plate. The worst-case scenario happened in May 2022, when Roberto Perez tore his hamstring in the same game that backup Andrew Knapp had been ejected, forcing the Pirates to use position player Josh VanMeter at catcher for an inning.

After losing Endy Rodriguez to offseason Tommy John surgery, Grandal to plantar fasciitis in his left foot and Jason Delay to a torn meniscus in his right knee, Cherington knows what it’s like to be shorthanded this season. So if having too many catchers could be considered a luxury, it’s one that is certainly preferable to the alternative.

“We potentially have a decision,” Cherington said. “We’ll see. Anything can happen any day to change that. We know baseball works in strange ways but, yeah, potentially if (Grandal is) at a point where we think he’s ready and everyone’s healthy then we’ll have to make a decision. But if we’re in that position then, that’ll be a good position to be in. It just means we’re deep and strong and we’ll have to make a call.”

It won’t be an easy call, no matter the numbers.

‘Clearly a different player’

The Pirates are invested in the development of Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft who was promoted last June but played primarily in right field.

Davis spent the offseason preparing to return to his natural position, improving his blocking, framing and receiving and game-calling to the point that Pirates manager Derek Shelton praised for passing the eye test. Despite Davis’ minus-3 defensive runs saved, Cherington expressed “full confidence” in his catching and his ability to build a foundation with the starting rotation and bullpen.

“He’s clearly a different defensive player than he was last year,” Cherington said, “and credit’s to him.”

Problem is, Davis is a different player offensively, too. Where he hit 10 doubles, seven home runs and had 24 RBIs in 62 games last year — becoming the first MLB player to homer twice in one game off two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani — Davis is batting .180 (11 for 61) with three doubles, four RBIs and 23 strikeouts against nine walks in 19 games.

During his two days off last weekend, Davis spent most of his time working in the batting cage to take the focus off his body movements and concentrate on picking up the pitch and doing damage.

“The assessment part is simple: Swing at the right pitches,” Davis said. “I’m making a little less contact than normal, but I’m not up there to try and slap singles. I’m expecting myself to slug, hit the ball with authority.”

The advanced metrics show another story. His expected slugging percentage (.227) and batting average (.187) rank among baseball’s worst, per Statcast, and his 33.6% whiff rate ranks in the ninth percentile. His 2.5% barrel rate and 35% hard-hit rate are both well below average.

Cherington said the Pirates identified areas for Davis to work on with the hitting coaches. With Davis renowned for his work ethic, especially when it comes to hitting, the expectation is that he will turn it around.

“He’s got a lot of pride and we know he’s going to work hard at it and there’s a long track record of hitting there,” Cherington said. “I would bet on him being a good hitter again.”

Davis refuses to blame his batting woes on the physical toll taken by catching on a regular basis. He cited the hardest-hit ball of his career — a double at an 111.5-mph exit velocity off Washington Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore on April 1 — as proof that he still has power. With three hits in his past five games, Davis believes he’s trending in the right direction with his bat, even though he’s yet to hit a home run.

“It’s something I need to navigate, but I’ll never use it as an excuse because I’ve caught my whole life and hit my whole life,” Davis said. “It’s not like one of them is new.”

‘A really positive impression’

When asked about Davis getting back-to-back days off, Shelton was quick to note that it was less about his work in the batting cage and more about their intentions to get a longer look at his counterpart.

“I think it’s going to help him, but the two days down wasn’t to give him two days down, it was to play Joey Bart two days in a row,” Shelton said. “It was more about Joey than it was Henry.”

That’s because Bart has been one of the Pirates’ best hitters, even if it’s a short sample size. He has a .304/.429/.739 slash line, is tied for the team lead with three home runs and is tied for third in RBIs with eight in only seven games.

“He’s having good swings,” Shelton said after Bart hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Thursday’s 7-5 loss to the Brewers. “This is a guy that was very highly touted and has some ability. He’s done a nice job since we’ve added him.”

If anyone can relate to the pressure Davis deals with in trying to live up to his pedigree, it’s Bart. The San Francisco Giants selected him No. 2 overall in 2018 out of Georgia Tech, but he was rushed to the majors when Buster Posey opted out in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and never lived up to his billing. Bart batted .219 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs in 162 games over four seasons before being traded to the Pirates on April 2, while Delay dealt with inflammation in his right knee.

“He’s made a really positive impression,” Cherington said of Bart. “Obviously he’s contributed with the bat and has fit in really smoothly on the defensive side, as far as the pitching staff and the game planning. No issues. He’s a smart guy and that comes across right away. … He’s a talented guy. Every once in a while you need a fresh start, and he’s gotten one for a little bit here and he’s having fun with it.”

Shelton has been complimentary of Bart’s game preparation and enhanced understanding of analytics, as he’s been behind the plate for a pair of outstanding performances by left-hander Bailey Falter. Bart won’t take credit for Falter’s success but takes pride in his defense, worrying about still being unfamiliar with the pitching staff.

“That’s what keeps me up at night, thinking and going back and forth in my head, ‘Hey, I don’t wanna throw this pitch and have this guy get clipped on something he probably shouldn’t throw,’” Bart said. “That’s just the game you battle while being back there in your head: ‘Is he on this? Is he on that?’ I’m just trying to get comfortable with people. … I want them to know I have their back throughout it all, and I (couldn’t) care less about anything other than what’s going on with me and you.”

‘A lot of tools in his belt’

As for Grandal, the Pirates signed him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the expectation that he would provide game experience for the pitching staff and leadership for the young catchers.

The 12-year veteran, who compiled 56 DRS from 2016-18 with the Los Angeles Dodgers but was minus-12 over four seasons with the Chicago White Sox, received rave reviews from both parties during spring training and early this season. Before he was sent to Indianapolis on April 16 for a rehabilitation assignment, Grandal helped Bart in his transition to a new team by giving him a crash course on game plans with the pitchers.

“Yas helps a ton,” Bart said. “Obviously with him not being here, it’s a little different because he’s so smart. In just the small amount of time I’ve been around him, he really sees the game in a different lens. He’s a guy that’s had so much time and experience that that wouldn’t surprise you. … The guy’s got a lot of tools in his belt. He’s been very beneficial to me and everyone in here from the catching side. He’s got way more experience than anybody here, so that’s pretty priceless.”

Cherington said the Pirates wanted Grandal to play in Triple-A through the end of the week, then would revisit his status after they got a chance to see him catch and run the bases in multiple game situations.

Grandal’s return will require a roster move, and the Pirates could have to choose between Bart and Davis. Where Bart is out of minor league options and would have to be designated for assignment with the hope that he clears waivers, Davis has three options remaining.

Sending Davis to the minors would be perceived as a developmental setback, even if it means he can catch on an everyday basis and get his bat back on track. Given that Davis has played right field and served as designated hitter in the majors, the Pirates could opt to demote an outfielder instead. That doesn’t make much sense, as there is little need for three catchers, especially given that Davis’ bat hasn’t justified it.

Shelton won’t entertain any speculation.

“When we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it,” Shelton said. “Until then, no decision has been made.”