The Pittsburgh Pirates are heading into its 15th anniversary at PNC Park with a team that is expected to contend in the National League Central for the third consecutive season.
After two straight seasons of making the playoffs, now the Pirates are being projected by many to make a run in the playoffs. A lot of this is because of the Pirates depth. Previous outcries from Pirates fans have now turned into words of thanks.
This piece is the first of several breaking down Pirates positions. The first will be dedicated to the catching position.
Many fans were upset with Russell Martin leaving the team, wishing that Pirates management had given him that extra year he wanted. The Pirates had signed Francisco Cervelli stating he was an insurance policy in case signing Martin did not pan out. This wound up being the case and now Cervelli is the third former-Yankee in recent years that will be behind the plate. for the Pirates with Martin and Chris Stewart the others.
Cervelli has not played in more than 93 games in a season and that mark came in 2010 Cervelli has had the chance to learn from Jorge Posada and Martin in his time with the Yankees.
Cervelli has played in 43 and three games the past two seasons, respectively, and in August 2013 was suspended 50 games after he was linked to the Biogenesis scandal. Cervelli will be stretched out far more than 43 games this season, assuming he stay healthy as he will be the starting catcher.
The Pirates have stated that they have watched the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and how they give players days off. This may be the case with Cervelli to keep him fresh and because the catching depth is there more so than in past seasons.
Cervelli has drawn comparisons to Martin for his defensive mentality and how he calls a game.
“I learned so many things with [Martin], the way he worked, his ethic, it’s really good,” said Cervelli. “Charismatic and he’s not afraid of anything. I feel lucky to come here and be his replacement. He means a lot for the city of Pittsburgh.”
Count pitcher Gerrit Cole as someone who has bought in.
“I told him I wasn’t going to shake him off, and I was just going to see how he wanted to use my stuff, so he could get a feel for how maybe he wants to call the game,” Cole said.
Cervelli still has time to learn the staff but in addition to Cole, A.J. Burnett, Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton have had positive reactions to their starting catcher.
“He’s a hungry learner,” manager Clint Hurdle added of Cervelli. “We know he’s a good catcher and he’s working hard on getting to know our pitchers, and he can swing the bat. Our job is just to keep him healthy.”
Cervelli’s backup to start the season will be Chris Stewart.
Stewart was underwhelming last season. Stewart is known for his defense and pitch framing, however his .231 caught stealing percentage was 8.4 percent lower than his 2013 mark with the Yankees. Stewart had a catcher’s ERA of 3.77 last season and a defensive WAR of 0.2. Stewart batted .294 last season and had a .364 OBP and .603 OPS, all career-highs. That being said he did this in 136 at-bats and 49 games, his lowest totals since 2010.
“These guys know what they’re doing, it’s my job to make sure they stay on track when they’re doing good,” Stewart said to 93.7 The Fan Morning Show. “It’s my job to pick up on the small things. I don’t have to jump on them too much, they know what they need to do to win. It’s my job to help them on their path.”
The third catcher is a battle between Tony Sanchez and Elias Diaz. Both have had good springs with each batting .500.
Sanchez made the Opening Day roster last season and hit .320 in April with eight hits in 25 at-bats. One of those hits was a walk-off RBI single in the 16th inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs. Sanchez’s bat cooled off in May batting .255 for the month, however defensively he was a liability throwing out 14.3 percent of runners and allowing 18 steals. The Pirates ended up sending Sanchez down to the minors and he continued his defensive struggles there to the point first base was being discussed as an option for him.
Sanchez then was to play in Dominican Republic’s winter league, but struggled on both sides of the ball and was sent home before the season ended. During this sequence, the Pirates signed Cervelli.
“I knew they would [get another catcher] and it was no one’s fault but my own,” Sanchez said. “I’m the one. They couldn’t trust me.”
Since then, as Tim Williams from Pirates Prospects reported, Sanchez has gone to work on becoming a more effective defender.
“You can’t get a good throw without catching the ball in good position,” said Sanchez to Williams. “The way you catch the ball is going to allow you to transfer the ball more efficiently, and the way I was catching the ball in the past, I wasn’t putting myself in the most ideal position to get good throws off, so I was having a little trouble there.”
The short-term results have impressed general manager Neal Huntington.
“He’s committed, on a mission,” Huntington said. “He wants to make your life difficult, which is a great thing, and if he continues to progress the way he has, we’ll have some challenging decisions to make.”
Diaz has climbed the Pirates minor league system and saw time in Triple-A towards the tail end of the 2014 season. Diaz with the Bradenton Maurauders in 2013 batting .279, throwing out 26 percent of runners attempting to steal and registering a .987 fielding percentage. Last season after playing in winter league, he was promoted to Double-A Altoona and batted .328 with six home runs and 54 RBI. Diaz’s fielding percentage also rose to .992 and he had a caught stealing percentage of 33. Though Diaz struggled in nine games with Triple-A Indianapolis, the experience prepared him for more reps there this season, which is where he will start. Diaz has one of the Pirates six home runs this season.
“He’s obviously had a great camp,” Huntington said. “We’ve loved what he’s done the last couple of years. We’ve always loved the throw. He’s gotten better as a catcher, and he’s learning to slow the game down. He’s been very impressive in the batter’s box. He’s handling himself well in camp, and a guy we’re looking forward to continuing to help grow and develop, and see where it goes from there.”
Barring injury, Cervelli and Stewart will travel to Citizens Bank Park for the team’s exhibition games prior to Opening Day in Cincinnati, however it is possible all four will see time with the Pirates this season.
