Pittsburgh Pirates: Call Up Endy Rodriguez and Resign Roberto Perez

The Pittsburgh Pirates have graduated a lot of prospects this year.  The team should look to make one more prominent promotion.

Last year at this time the cry from fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates was for them to call up Oneil Cruz.  Cruz came up and made an immediate impact with the Big League Club.  It made the end of the season exciting and gave fans a glimpse into the future.

The team needs to do it again this season.  The Pittsburgh Pirates have once again turned in a poor overall record.  They will have a shot at the top draft pick for this upcoming Draft once again.  So who should the team call up to give some positivity for the last few games?

Endy Rodriguez needs to be called up for the final games of the season.  The catching prospect had an amazing year and deserves to get a shot more than anyone else.  His OPS between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A was an outstanding .997 and he hit .323.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Front Office talks about rewarding young players for their development, a “player-centric” Organization.  Prove it, call up Endy  Rodriguez.  This Front Office should be rewarding his ascension up the prospect ladder, not hiding him until next year.  We all have seen the difference that Oneil Cruz has made to this lineup.  Rodriguez could make the same impact by getting that cup of coffee this year.

Speaking of which, the development of Endy Rodriguez has changed things for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The team was going to once again be searching for a catcher to fill in for the 2023 season.  There seems to be a chance that veteran Roberto Perez will be back.

It is time to spend some money.  The pitchers have raved about what Perez brought to this staff.  This is invaluable to a young pitching staff like the Bucs’.  Furthermore, when Rodriguez gets the call to the Big Leagues having a veteran like Perez around could be the difference maker of Endy going from a good catcher to a great catcher.

The team is typically leery of spending money on injury-prone players and/or aging veterans.  Perez, signed a one-year $5,000,000 deal last offseason.  If it were to cost about the same to bring him back the team should.  Will he cost less? Maybe due to his injury, but teams are always in the market for catching help, the Bucs can’t let him get away.