Brewers' latest roster decision opens door for Pirates to address catching dilemma

The Pittsburgh Pirates have already pilfered the reigning champion's ranks once this offseason, claiming Akil Baddoo off waivers right after free agency officially opened. Would it really hurt to pluck another former Brewer away from Milwaukee?

Gary Sánchez isn't quite the top prospect who posted a 170 wRC+ in his rookie season and then followed that up with a 33-homer campaign, but glimpses of that offensive upside can still be found in the soon-to-be 34-year-old's bat. And it just so happens that he's a free agent once again, as the Brewers declined their half of his mutual option shortly after the winning the World Series.

It might not be the cleanest fit in the world, but there's an argument to be made that "The Kraken" would fit in well with what the Bucs are building.

Gary Sánchez would add veteran stability (and extra motivation for Henry Davis) to Pirates' catcher depth chart

The Pirates don't necessarily need to add a catcher to the roster this offseason; their backstop group ranked ninth in fWAR (3.4) this season, as the trio of Endy Rodríguez, Rafael Flores Jr., and Henry Davis all brought different skills to the table. However, the former had hip surgery over the summer that will likely delay his start to the 2027 season, while the latter remains frustratingly bad at the plate (62 wRC+ in 2026).

That leaves Flores as the projected starter heading into next year, which is something he earned after a huge performance in the second half (.254/.318/.507). He even posted slightly above-average marks in framing and pop time, reinforcing the notion that he is good enough defensively to be a regular behind the plate in the big leagues.

The problem is that Flores has just 54 games (180 plate appearances) of MLB experience, which is pretty limited for someone who will be expected to call games for one of the best pitching staffs in the league. Having Davis' tremendous glove on hand as a backup does help matters, but again, he's got a .532 OPS over the past three seasons combined. He's a defense-only option, not a defense-first one.

I'd argue all that leaves the door open for someone like Sánchez to join the roster, particularly since his bat is good enough (117 wRC+ in 2026) to earn him some time as a designated hitter. That would make it easier to justify carrying three catchers on the roster, at least until Rodriguez is healthy and forces the issue.

Not for nothing, Sánchez would also go a long way toward solving the Pirates' biggest offensive issue: His .801 OPS against southpaws in 2026 was 100 points higher than the team's cumulative mark.

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