'We are the future:' Rodriguez, Davis excited for potential at catcher

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Endy Rodriguez is a bit more playful in the clubhouse this time around. He was hardly shy during his first big-league camp a year ago, but if the daps and jokes with players as he passes by show anything, it's that he feels he belongs to be here.

Just call it a byproduct of feeling closer to actually being on this major-league team, right?

"For sure," Rodriguez told me, showing off his braces while flashing a million dollar smile. "I know more of my teammates. Feels more like a family."

Rodriguez isn't going to make the opening day team. Neither will the Pirates other top catching prospect, Henry Davis, who recorded a hit and a stolen base in the Pirates' 7-4 win over the Orioles at LECOM Park Tuesday. But all signs point to them getting that call to Pittsburgh at some point this season, giving this team not only a potential impact player at a position of need, but possibly a bona fide 1-2 punch.

After trading away Jacob Stallings during the 2021 offseason, the Pirates went through eight different catchers in 2022 who combined for a .192 batting average and 0.1 fWAR. It was addressed this offseason by signing Austin Hedges, a defensively gifted backstop who is renowned for his pitcher management, and Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman, the two primary catchers for most of 2022, are in competition with Kevin Plawecki for the opening day backup job,

Those catchers can help the team now and have a long-term effect on the Pirates' young pitchers, but make no mistake. Rodriguez and Davis are the two the organization has their eyes on for the future.

"Definitely feel deeper [at catcher]," Ben Cherington said. "It takes time. We did not set out to do anything specific with the draft or trades. There was no, 'we're going to target a catcher.' We did know it was a position we needed to strengthen over time. We found ways to do that."

The rest of the league has taken notice too. Davis fell on Baseball America's top prospect ranking to No. 73, but that was mainly due to his wrist injury list year. If the No. 1 overall pick stays healthy, he'll rise up the boards again. Meanwhile, Rodriguez ascended to No. 22 after a monster year, posting a .997 OPS while starting in Class High-A Greensboro and finishing in Class AAA Indianapolis.

"It's just a list," Rodriguez said. "They show the talent, but you've got to stay focused. It lets you know [you're on your way] to the big leagues, but you to work more."

But reflecting on that huge 2022 season, Rodriguez's takeaway is that it's not enough.

"I want more," Rodriguez said. "I want more homers, more [batting average]. I want to help more as a teammate."

Rodriguez has the hype around him after being named the organization's minor-league player of the year, but don't forget Davis. He has as strong of an arm as any position this side of Oneil Cruz and he tore up the Arizona Fall League this past year once he was finally healthy and got his swing back to a good spot. After a few weeks off from playing ball, he was back in Pirate City preparing for the season ahead.

“Everyday’s an opportunity to get better and show that I can help the Pirates win,” Davis told me.

The two are friends but have very different personalities. Rodriguez is looser, Davis rigid. You can almost see it in how they play their position. "Rubber band-y" is how Quinn Priester described Rodriguez's catching style, while Davis is there to stick it.

“They both want to win," Quinn Priester, who played with both of them last year with Class AA Altoona, said. "They’re both incredibly diligent, they’re both incredibly hard working. Henry is a little more strong back there, where Endy is a little more fluid. There’s benefits to both. They call different games. It’s interesting to see the differences with those two guys. You learn from both of them.”

Unsurprisingly, it's that desire to succeed that is the basis of that friendship.

“He’s a great player and a better teammate," Davis said. "I lean heavily on him, and I hope he does the same for me. We share the same goal of helping the Pirates win.”

There's some occasional bumping of elbows to achieve that goal, and it comes down to one issue: They can't both catch at the same time. Rodriguez bounced around the diamond when they both started last year in Greensboro, playing first base, second and right field. Towards the end of the year and they were both in Altoona, Davis also began playing some outfield in order to make sure they both get into the lineup. 

Davis only brought one glove with him to spring training, so he's planning to just catch. Rodriguez will be the one more likely to play some first base or outfield for now, but they both know it's a possibility. When pitching the idea of getting reps at other positions, director of coaching and player development John Baker told Davis about how in 2016, the Cubs were able to use Willson Contreras the whole game because he played both catcher and the outfield. David Ross, the normal backup catcher, hit a home run in that game. Defense versatility helped win the Cubs a World Series. Davis' preference was to stay at catcher, but he was willing to give it a shot after that pitch.

"I just want to help team," Rodriguez said about playing other positions. "Henry has a lot of talent and can help the team. I know we can help the team together."

Make no mistake, the Pirates view both as catchers and they will continue to be developed as such. When it comes to that position, well...

"We are the future," Rodriguez said.

They're probably not the only ones in that clubhouse who are part of this team's future. Priester, Cruz, Ke'Bryan Hayes, David Bednar, Roansy Contreras, Luis Ortiz, Mike Burrows... There are plenty of players who are under contract for at least another six years.

So I had to close by asking Rodriguez if it's cool to be part of those future plans.

"Yeah," Rodriguez said with his widest grin of the interview. "It's really f---ing good." 

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Luis Ortiz didn't show his new changeup often Tuesday, but when he did, it played, including getting Franchy Cordero to strike out on one. Ortiz clearly has the velocity to be a big leaguer, topping out 98 mph Tuesday, and the breaking ball grades well, but it's that third pitch that is going to be key for keeping him in the rotation.

"You have to throw it in order for it to work, to execute it," Derek Shelton said. "I think that’s the big thing. We’ll probably see him use it a little bit more in certain situations to figure out what the execution is and what his feel is for it.”

Ortiz tossed two scoreless innings with a couple of ground ball singles allowed and a strikeout.

David Bednar and Jarlín García both bounced back with scoreless frames after allowing home runs in their spring debuts Saturday. Rob Zastryzny and Hunter Stratton combined for three runs allowed in their two innings of work, while Kyle Nicolas, J.C. Flowers and Cam Alldred each threw a scoreless frame to end the game.

• Really solid game by Delay today, who made a catch near the railing and then absolutely crushed a home run:

A solid game for one of the primary catchers last year who is trying to earn his roster spot back, but the decision of who gets that backup job isn't going to be as simple as batting averages and RBIs.

"How they perform on the field is going to be important, but the ability to develop relationships, the ability to have conversations, call the game, manage the game is really important,” Shelton said.

• Nick Gonzales also went deep Tuesday, nearly swinging out of his helmet in the process:

A big project for him this winter and spring is learning third base and becoming more defensively versatile. He played second base Tuesday but was a mid-game replacement Saturday at third and started a 5-3 double play.

"We've been putting some good practice at third," Gonzales told me. "Having Ke'Bryan [Hayes] and [Jared] Triolo here to help has been awesome."

• You never know exactly what you're going to see at the ballpark. Like a bottom of the ninth in a game the Pirates had already won:

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde asked Shelton in the eighth inning if it would be alright to play the final half inning because they brought another pitcher. Shelton obliged, but the umpires didn't and left. So it ended up being some backlot baseball.

"I understand, and if we can get more at bats for our young guys, we’re more than happy to do that,” Shelton said.

• Cool scene before the game: Ernie Withers, who collapsed during practice at Pirate City last week, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Dr. Patrick DeMeo, who performed CPR on the field to save his life, was the catcher.