Pirates catcher Susac hoping to finally live up to once-lofty projections
BRADENTON, Fla. — It wasn’t a big deal when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Andrew Susac to a minor league contract Jan 31. In fact, it barely rated more than a mention.
Yet, there was a time when Susac was a pretty big deal. That makes his presence in an organization thin on catching depth at least somewhat intriguing.
Susac made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2014, playing in 35 regular-season games and four postseason games as the backup to star Buster Posey. Susac had a hand in winning a World Series title that season for the team he grew rooting for in Sacramento.
The following winter, Baseball America ranked Susac as the Giants’ top prospect. However, a series of injuries have kept the 29-year-old from fulfilling that promise.
Now with his fourth organization after stints with the Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals, Susac is hoping to turn his career.
“I just felt this was a good fit here,” Susac said at the Pirates’ spring training camp. “Some of the other offers I had on the table, I didn’t really see it. The way these guys were trending, it seemed like the right place.”
Owner Bob Nutting shook up management after a last-place finish in the National League Central in 2019. Ben Cherington is the new general manager, and Derek Shelton is in his first season as manager.
“There’s kind of a new mindset here,” Susac said. “Coming from the Brewers and Orioles when they started their rebuilds, there was always a good vibe and a good change of pace, so that was kind of the appeal to playing for the Pirates.”
It also doesn’t hurt that the Pirates’ catching situation is iffy.
Jacob Stallings will be the starter, but the 30-year-old has played in just 95 major league games. Luke Maile has the edge for the backup job because he is on the 40-man roster, but Susac and fellow nonroster invitee John Ryan Murphy also are getting looks this spring.
Furthermore, Baseball America has no catchers in its ranking of the Pirates’ top-30 prospects.
Susac is 2 for 6 with two walks and one strikeout in Grapefruit League play this spring.
“There’s opportunity here for me,” said Susac, who got his first big-league hit off the Pirates’ Charlie Morton in 2014. “Personally, I need to stay healthy. I’ve had a couple of tough years with broken bones, which is part of the gig as a catcher, but also some bad luck on my part.”
Susac indeed has a long list of injuries. The latest came last year when he suffered a season-ending fractured left wrist May 27 while playing with the Royals’ Triple-A Omaha farm club.
Susac believes he would have more than 113 major league games over five seasons on his resume if it weren’t for all the trips to the injured list. Yet, he refuses to feel sorry for himself, instead opting to keep pushing on.
“Sitting in rehab in Arizona and Florida and being hurt all year just wears on you, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say there were times when I thought it might be time to bag it and go do something else for a living,” Susac said. “Quitting’s not in my blood, though.
“I just can’t do it. I love this game so much. It’s just a part of me, and I’ve got a good family and people around me to keep me headstrong.”
John Perrotto is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
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