Pirates have a sneaky trade deadline weapon hiding in plain sight

We've talked about one way the Pittsburgh Pirates can be aggressive at the trade deadline without giving up their top prospects by leveraging their surplus of young pitchers, specifically Hunter Barco, to get what they want. Now, it's worth considering that the Pirates can utilize another stockpile of specialized talent to fill holes.

What we're looking at is the incredible catching depth Pittsburgh possesses throughout its system, and how that can be a game-changer when it comes to achieving the club's deadline objectives.

Finding catchers who can hit is a tough task in this game, and the Pirates are blessed with talented youngsters who can handle the defensive demands of the position and swing the bat reasonably well at every level throughout the system.

That includes a number of the team's top- 30 prospects, which include Axiel Plaz (No. 6), Easton Carmichael (No.7), Edgleen Perez (No. 8), Rafael Flores Jr. (No. 14), and Omar Alfonzo (No. 17). That's just for starters.

So while there is a sense that Pittsburgh's minor league system is top-heavy, these young backstops carry a special kind of value. It's so hard to find good catching talent that getting a young, controllable one who is at least passable on both sides of the ball is extremely valuable.

MLB contenders craving catching talent proves how valuable the Pirates' pipeline will be at the trade deadline

Take a look at Jeff Passan's top-100 trade candidates, and you'll notice a few things. First, there are only five catchers on the list, and plenty of contenders clamoring for them. Second, of those five catchers, only maybe two are actually thought to be available.

Even before Shea Langeliers went down with a potentially season-ending torn meniscus, the A's were more listening to offers to see if someone blew them away, rather than actively shopping him.

The same is true for the Rockies and Hunter Goodman and the Orioles and Adley Rutschman. The Twins might be more willing to part with Ryan Jeffers, but that's largely due to his status as a rental. Truly, the only veteran catcher being actively shopped is Cincinnati's Tyler Stephenson.

So with a half dozen contenders, at minimum, seeking catching upgrades, and so few options, it's clear that having even an average player at the position is a huge win for a ball club.

The same logic applies to rebuilding teams. Eventually, those clubs will be looking to compete at some point in the future, and not having to overpay for a solution behind the plate because you developed one in-house is a huge boost to any rebuilding plan.

While the Pirates are negotiating to fill their needs, they can potentially punch above their weight thanks to the catcher pipeline. Some of the guys at the top, like Plaz, Carmichael, and Perez, could serve as headliners, while some of the other backstops who are lower in the rankings can serve as nice kickers that get a deal across the finish line. At this time of year, exploiting organizational strengths is key, and Pittsburgh has a great one to work with.

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