OnlyBucs

I knew it didn't look good, but this is a good rundown of just how bleak the catching position looks for 2020. Subpar performance at the major league level, and absolutely no one at AAA. And not much available at free agency either, assuming we're not going to pay Grandal. So another season with Diaz and Stallings??



https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/08/ ... eason.html

The Pirates don’t spend much but it’s astonishing how often they spend “bad” money, wasting “a few million here and s few million” there on bad FAs.



I think they keep both Diaz and Stallings. I haven’t looked, but I bet Stallings has been better as his playing time has increased. Stallings might give the Pirates a pretty good couple years of production. I’d rather save the few dollars we have for a pitcher.

My guess is they will bring in another catcher, and possibly Diaz will be traded. I think they like Stallings defense, and how he works well with the pitchers.

I will beat a deadhorse here, but isn't the lack of catching depth a huge failure for the organization?



After the year they needed to deal for McHenry you would think the Bucs would make sure they were set at the catcher position.



They had to know last off season that this year would be last year for Cervelli in Pittsburgh.



In a lot of ways they have lucked out that Stallings has done as well as he has.



Also, what has happened to Diaz? He was considered good field no hit in until at least AA ball.



Maybe his illness this spring had an impact on his offense but I don't know if it is realistic to think that his defense declined because of illness.

4D6B6A7D6B7B080 wrote: I will beat a deadhorse here, but isn't the lack of catching depth a huge failure for the organization?



After the year they needed to deal for McHenry you would think the Bucs would make sure they were set at the catcher position.



They had to know last off season that this year would be last year for Cervelli in Pittsburgh.



In a lot of ways they have lucked out that Stallings has done as well as he has.



Also, what has happened to Diaz?  He was considered good field no hit in until at least AA ball.



Maybe his illness this spring had an impact on his offense but I don't know if it is realistic to think that his defense declined because of illness.


his 2017 offensively looks nearly identical to 2019. His rate stats are pretty much the same. Look at the doubles and Strikeouts. It's all right there.



Difference in 2018 is where the ball landed. Curious

082E2F382E3E4D0 wrote: I will beat a deadhorse here, but isn't the lack of catching depth a huge failure for the organization?



After the year they needed to deal for McHenry you would think the Bucs would make sure they were set at the catcher position.



They had to know last off season that this year would be last year for Cervelli in Pittsburgh.



In a lot of ways they have lucked out that Stallings has done as well as he has.



Also, what has happened to Diaz?  He was considered good field no hit in until at least AA ball.



Maybe his illness this spring had an impact on his offense but I don't know if it is realistic to think that his defense declined because of illness.
A huge problem is that they wasted #1 picks on catchers in 2009 and 2013. If Tony Sanchez had been a legit #1 pick he could have anchored the catching for about 5 years. And if McGuire had been a legit #1 pick (as opposed to a player they'd give away to bribe a team to pay Liriano) he could have taken over for the next 5 years. It's a sad state of affairs that the system they always promise will provide the players for a championship team has been bereft of top catching talent during the same period that 2 catchers were selected with #1 picks. Scouting and player evaluation is a huge problem for this franchise.

684548595E4F58181B2A0 wrote: I will beat a deadhorse here, but isn't the lack of catching depth a huge failure for the organization?



After the year they needed to deal for McHenry you would think the Bucs would make sure they were set at the catcher position.



They had to know last off season that this year would be last year for Cervelli in Pittsburgh.



In a lot of ways they have lucked out that Stallings has done as well as he has.



Also, what has happened to Diaz?  He was considered good field no hit in until at least AA ball.



Maybe his illness this spring had an impact on his offense but I don't know if it is realistic to think that his defense declined because of illness.
A huge problem is that they wasted #1 picks on catchers in 2009 and 2013. If Tony Sanchez had been a legit #1 pick he could have anchored the catching for about 5 years. And if McGuire had been a legit #1 pick (as opposed to a player they'd give away to bribe a team to pay Liriano) he could have taken over for the next 5 years. It's a sad state of affairs that the system they always promise will provide the players for a championship team has been bereft of top catching talent during the same period that 2 catchers were selected with #1 picks. Scouting and player evaluation is a huge problem for this franchise.


I hope they didn't do this but I could see that for a couple years after drafting Sanchez they said they had one good catcher in the system and then did the same after drafting McGuire. Because of those guys in the system they may have downgraded the need to acquire catching prospects in 2010-12 and then in 2014-16.