The Pittsburgh Pirates might not be in a great spot to make the postseason this year, but there were some positive signs throughout the campaign. For Pittsburgh to be the team it wants to be over the next couple of years, there are many ways that the organization can decide what it wants to do.
One of those questions is going to have to be answered during this offseason, as some have suggested that Henry Davis won't be the guy that Pittsburgh wants to use at catcher in the short and long term. Davis, the former No. 2 overall pick coming out of Louisville, hasn't necessarily lived up to the expectations that some had set out for him.
I still believe there's a lot left in the tank, and I like what he does defensively at times, but I can understand why some Pirates fans have grown frustrated with his offensive struggles.
Still, Davis is very young, and there have been many bright moments, so giving up on him right away just doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.
Despite that reality, one writer suggested that the Pirates need to go out and add a veteran catcher if Davis is indeed the guy Pittsburgh wants to roll with in its catching room. I don't think this is necessarily the wrong idea, but it could hurt his development.
“If Pittsburgh believes Davis is its catcher, fine. Then acquire a legitimate veteran backup capable of playing regularly if necessary while Flores continues developing and Rodríguez works his way back. If the organization still has doubts about Davis, catcher needs to become a much more aggressive offseason target.
“Flores’ breakout should make the Pirates more comfortable with their long-term catching depth, but it shouldn't make them complacent about 2027. There has to be a plan beyond hoping one of Davis, Rodríguez or Flores becomes the answer on schedule,” Emma Lingan wrote.
The nice part is that the Pirates do have some options. It isn't necessarily like the organization is in a position where it can't find a catcher that it wants to use over the next couple of years. However, for the Pirates to be what they were expecting to be, Davis was part of that plan.
