Pittsburgh Pirates: Revisiting the Joe Musgrove Trade

Jun 13, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar (51) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar (51) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – AUGUST 09: A Pittsburgh Pirates hat, glove and bat sit in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on August 9, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Catcher Endy Rodriguez

The 21-year-old Rodriguez had a strong season with the Low-A Bradenton Marauders in 2021. Rodriguez played in 98 games and logged 434 plate appearances. These were both new career highs for Rodriguez.

In his 434 PAs Rodriguez hit for a .294/.380/.512 slash line to go with a 140 wRC+. Rodriguez hit 15 home runs and collected extra base hits at a 10.6% rate. The switch hitter walked in a strong 11.5% of his trips to the plate, while he struck out just 17.6% of the time.

While catcher remained the primary position for Rodriguez he did bounce around the diamond in 2021. Rodriguez made 54 appearances at catcher, 18 at first base and 4 in left field. He also made starts as the designated hitter for the Marauders.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Henry Davis the odds of Rodriguez remaining the catcher of the future appeared to take a hit. That said, with the put hitting ability of Rodriguez he will have a future with the Pirates. Watching what Rodriguez can do offensively with Double-A Altoona in 2022 will be fun for Pirate fans to watch.