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Pittsburgh Pirates Players Set To Benefit From The WBC
By Marty Leap
Catcher Elias Diaz
Over the course of the past few seasons Elias Diaz has become a name that is well known among Pirate fans. He has been the team’s top catching prospect for a few years now, but he has yet to make any type of impact.
While Elias Diaz has plus defensive tools behind the plate, his offense has yet to progress. Considering he is already 26-years old, this is very concerning. However, Diaz is going to get an opportunity to show what he can do.
Not only is Francisco Cervelli going to play in the World Baseball Classic, but the Pirates are also easing Chris Stewart into things this spring. This is due to Stewart having knee surgery this past September. Due to this, Diaz should get plenty of opportunities to catch in the coming weeks.
Due to Francisco Cervelli being under team control for another two seasons, odds are, Elias Diaz will never make an impact in Pittsburgh outside of being Cervelli’s back up when Chris Stewart moves on. His odds of ever being a starting catcher in the Major Leagues keep going down as well.
The next few weeks will be a very good audition for Diaz to try and show the rest of baseball that he can handle the duties of a starting Major League catcher. Hopefully, he takes advantage of this opportunity. If he does he could be good trade bait for the Pirates come July.