Pirates GM: Top prospects Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez to split catching duties at Indianapolis

By promoting Henry Davis to join Endy Rodriguez at Triple-A Indianapolis, two of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top three prospects are only a step away from the major leagues.

That they play the same position puts them in each other’s path.

It’s a problem Pirates general manager Ben Cherington plans to resolve by initially having the 23-year-olds share starting catcher duties.

“They’ll split time behind the plate, and they both have a secondary position that they’ll get in the lineup at,” Cherington said Monday at PNC Park. “I anticipate for Henry that would be right field and Endy probably first base. So, they’d be in the lineup at their secondary position on some days and then splitting time behind the plate.”

Cherington knew this situation was an eventuality, even though the Pirates split the duo up after spring training to give both an opportunity to serve as the primary catcher. Rodriguez surpassed Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, in prospect rankings after earning minor league player of the year honors last summer.

Where Rodriguez started at Indianapolis, Davis wasn’t thrilled about returning to Double A. The 23-year-old hit his way to Triple A by producing a .284/.433/.547 slash line with seven doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 41 games at Altoona.

“He was performing offensively at a level where we felt like he was more than ready to meet the challenges,” Cherington said. “He improved as an offensive player even since spring training, focusing on the things we were challenging him on. Defensively, he’s made strides too.

“We got far enough into the season where he’d had a chance to be the primary catcher in Altoona and get that experience. At some point, we knew he was going to have to move to Triple-A and this was the time. There’s nothing more to it than that, really.”

Cherington said catching will remain the primary position for both Davis and Rodriguez, although their bats could accelerate the timeline for a major-league call-up if the Pirates are in need of help. Rodriguez is batting .247/.341/.396 with five doubles, three triples, four home runs and 16 RBIs in 38 games at Indianapolis.

“That’s the priority. Could they help the team in another way at some point? Sure. It’s possible,” Cherington said. “Anytime a guy gets to Triple-A, if they’re doing things that we think will give us a chance to win a game here, and there’s an opportunity and an opening for that, then sure, we’ll consider it. But the priority will be catching for both.”

Rodriguez has distinguished himself with his versatility, having played 161 games at catcher, 23 at first base and left field, 18 at second base, two in right field and one in center in his minor-league career. But he has played 32 games at catcher and only two at first base this season, and Cherington indicated the other positions have taken a back seat.

“We haven’t talked about anything past first base, as of now,” Cherington said. “I think that’s because we’re still prioritizing catcher. We don’t want to put too much on his plate. He’s comfortable at a lot of spots on the field, but the priority for him is still to be a catcher. The only reason either one of them are in a different position is just to get the bat in the lineup, and they’re both on the same team.”

Cherington emphasized he believes the Pirates’ catching tandem of Austin Hedges and Jason Delay “is making an impact, is helping our pitching and is contributing to the overall improvement of the team, helping us win games,” so there’s no reason to rush Davis or Rodriguez to the majors at the moment.

“We’re excited to see them both play on that team,” Cherington said. “Overall, we feel good about the catching group that’s in the major leagues, and we’re excited to see what Henry and Endy do together in Indy.”