Pittsburgh Pirates: Four Non-Tender Candidates This Offseason

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 24: Michael Perez #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two-run single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning of a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 24, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Catcher Michael Perez

While Michael Perez is only projected to earn $900,000 in arbitration this offseason he was one of the worst players in all of Major League Baseball during the 2021 season. This is what makes Perez a strong candidate to be non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Perez appeared in 70 games with the Pirates in 2021, accumulating 231 PAs. While Perez flashed some pop at times with a .148 isolated slugging (ISO), 7 home runs and an 8% extra base hit rate, overall Perez was woeful.

The left-handed hitting Perez struck out in 29.4% of his trips to the plate and posted a wRC+ of 38. Among all MLB batters with at least 200 PAs Perez’s wRC+ was the second-worst in the Majors. His -0.9 fWAR was tied for the 5th worst in baseball.

Perez struggled to handle the pitching staff, as well as with pitch framing. He also broke the Pirate streak of having more than 100 consecutive games without allowing a passed ball. In all facets of the game Perez was poor.

With Perez having been one of the worst players in baseball last season it’s easy to envision a scenario where he is non-tendered. The Pirates could find a catcher this offseason that can be a more serviceable backup to Jacob Stallings, helping bridge the gap until a prospect such as Carter Bins or Abrahan Gutierrez reach the Majors in late 2022, or by the 2023 season.

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