Before flying to San Diego this weekend for MLB’s Winter Meetings, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was at PNC Park on Thursday and met with four pitchers appearing at a holiday party for group leaders: Chase De Jong, Colin Holderman, JT Brubaker and Mike Burrows.
A primary topic of discussion was the Pirates’ offseason moves thus far, trading for Ji-Man Choi and signing Carlos Santana to address deficiencies at first base. Another seemed to be the catching situation, with several signs pointing to a resolution later this month and a likely reunion with Roberto Perez.
After having hamstring surgery in May, Perez quickly and continually professed a desire to return to the Pirates. The feeling is mutual. It’s also contingent on Perez playing winter ball, and that’s expected to start the first week of December.
“Everybody here last year loved Roberto,” Brubaker said. “He made us all better. I know he got hurt early on, but still seeing him around the clubhouse, talking to him, I think he made the pitching staff better in that short span that we got to throw to him.”
The Pirates have plenty of future excitement at the position with top prospects Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis, the former added to the 40-man roster this offseason and the latter the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft.
Someone, and maybe both, will carry the Pirates into the future behind the plate. As for the present, Brubaker knows exactly what he wants to see happen.
“For me to sit here and say that I don’t want [Perez] back … yeah, I would like to have Roberto back,” Brubaker said. “That would be awesome. I really enjoyed being his teammate.”
Signed to a one-year, $5 million deal after the Pirates traded Jacob Stallings last offseason, the move looked tremendous early on. Pitchers such as Brubaker and De Jong relished throwing to Perez. Several members of the young rotation hung on the two-time Gold Glove winner’s every word.
Perez instilled confidence. His game-calling steadied nerves. The 33-year-old native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, also added perspective developed over years of catching elite pitchers in Cleveland while proving that his shoulder was plenty healthy.
Then he went to round second base in Cincinnati and ripped his hamstring, the ugly injury ending his season after only 21 games.
Perez hit .233 with a .700 OPS in those contests, although the offensive numbers really don’t matter. Hit him ninth and let him guide the pitching staff. That’s what the Pirates need more than anything.
“I know we loved Roberto,” De Jong said. “I think he liked working with us. If he wants to sign back here, he definitely didn’t burn any bridges. Whether they go and try to get somebody else, that’s up to Ben [Cherington].”
It’s understandable why nothing has happened to this point. Given his injury history, the Pirates want to ensure Perez is healthy before committing a spot and a contract.
Given the shoulder and hamstring issues, it also could be tough for Perez to find regular work with another MLB team, though he’s clearly beloved here — and already knows most of the staff.
The ideal scenario would be for Perez to come back for, say, $2-$3 million, enjoy a regular workload early on, then likely split time with whichever prospect emerges out of Triple-A, simultaneously mentoring that young player.
“I want a catcher who’s gonna go to war with me,” Holderman said, speaking generally about what he looks for in a catcher but incidentally describing what Perez does well. “I can tell that he’s involved every pitch; it’s me and him versus the world.”
Brubaker, De Jong and Holderman said they were highly encouraged by what Cherington has done thus far.
Choi and Santana have caused Brubaker to start dreaming of experiencing playoff baseball, while Holderman said the veteran leadership component would be very much appreciated.
De Jong took a more analytical approach. He knows the Pirates have flaws, stuff the front office knows it must address, and plugging the first-base hole showed him that they’re taking this seriously.
After chatting with Cherington on Thursday, De Jong left with the sense that it wouldn’t be long before he knew for sure who he’d be throwing to in 2023.
“We’re in good hands knowing they know what we need to go get,” De Jong said. “Ben was in here right before you guys. I think [catcher] is on the front of his mind. That’s the next piece that we need.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: December 2, 2022, 12:55 a.m.
Updated: December 2, 2022, 1:04 a.m.
