Pittsburgh Pirates: 2 Positions that Need to be Upgraded for 2023

The biggest need for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the last couple of years has been the position of catcher.  The catching position has been a glaring hole for this team ever since Francisco Cervelli.  The team did have the emergence of Jacob Stallings, but they decided to sell high on his value as he was aging.

This past year the team brought in Roberto Perez who previously played for the Cleveland Guardians.  Perez had an OPS of .700 through 60 at-bats before undergoing surgery on his hamstring.  Still, in just 21 games he produced a 0.6 WAR.

The pitchers raved about the veteran presence Perez provided this year.  JT Brubaker mentioned that he would love for Perez to come back.  Obviously, this is good to hear, but this also did not stop the team from trading away Jacob Stallings.  Stallings had a lot of the same qualities.

Coming through the pipeline there is hope.  The Bucs have two of the top catching prospects in Baseball.  Endy Rodriguez blew up the minor this year, posting an OPS near 1.200 across three levels.  He finished in Triple-A but will likely start there in 2023.  The same can pretty much be said for 2021 first-overall pick Henry Davis.  Davis will need more time in the minors after missing the bulk of the 2022 season with a wrist injury.