Pirates emphasizing defense, consistency in 3-way battle for backup catcher

When Derek Shelton ordained Jacob Stallings the starting catcher at the outset of spring training, it didn’t signal the end of the competition at one of the most pivotal positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Instead, it was just the beginning of a battle for the three catchers vying to become the backup. With a taxi squad catcher available for road trips, the Pirates will have the luxury of starting the season with three catchers when they open April 1 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The odd man out will likely end up at the alternate training site.

A former minor league catcher, Shelton places a premium on the value a good backstop brings to the team but also understands the difficulty of finding a fair division of labor in Grapefruit League games.

“The one place that’s hardest to get work in spring training for our coaching staff is the catching position,” Shelton said, “because you have guys that you want to get with certain pitchers and it’s challenging to get guys at the back end of your bullpen and the guys that are starters and getting looks at them.

“So we have to be very mindful, not only in their bullpen sessions but in games of who they catch because the last thing we want is we open up and all of a sudden we get somebody that has only caught a guy one time or two times.”

So Shelton has split playing time between catchers, while also using both Tony Wolters and Joe Hudson as the designated hitter. In searching for a complement to Stallings, a Gold Glove finalist last season, the Pirates have prioritized defense. What Shelton is seeking in the backup is consistency, a trait that was lacking in light-hitting John Ryan Murphy last year and defensively deficient Elias Diaz in 2019.

“I think the catcher position you’ve got to do everything,” said Wolters, a converted second baseman. “You’ve got to hit. You’ve got to catch. You’ve got to receive. You’ve got to block and throw. There’s a lot of things you have to do as a catcher. You have to manage the squad. You’ve got to be a position player, but you’ve got to be a pitcher, also. You’ve got to be a pitching coach. There’s a lot of jobs that a catcher has to do, that’s what makes it so much fun but makes it difficult at the same time.”

Wolters has a strong background, with 317 starts over five seasons with Colorado. After a career year in 2019, where he batted .262 with 17 doubles and 42 RBIs and led the NL in assists with 75, Wolters batted .230 last season with four doubles and eight RBIs in 42 games.

“Really, really likes talking about pitching more than the other catchers,” Pirates left-hander Steven Brault, a fellow San Diego native, said of Wolters. “It’s always on his mind. He talks way more about pitching than catching.”

Brault also raved about Michael Perez, calling the former Tampa Bay backstop an “incredible defensive catcher.” Perez showed off his arm strength Saturday against the New York Yankees, throwing out Thairo Estrada at second base to end the second inning.

“He’s done a nice job catching,” Shelton said of Perez. “Blocking the ball. Good target. He has really good energy behind the plate. He has very good awareness of what a pitcher is trying to do. The initial opinion of him is very good.”

That he’s bilingual helps his communication with the team’s Latin players, especially the pitchers. And he brings the added value of postseason experience. In the divisional playoffs, Perez flashed his left-handed power by hitting a two-run homer against the Yankees. He has only one hit this spring, but it was a 389-foot shot the right-center gap.

The Pirates are enamored with the idea of having Wolters or Perez as left-handed options in the batting order in place of the right-handed Stallings.

That makes the 29-year-old Hudson, a right-handed hitter who has played in only 18 games over the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners, the long shot of the catcher contenders. But Hudson is having the best spring so far at the plate, hitting .429 (3 for 7) with a double, a home run and four RBIs.

Hudson was with the Mariners for Opening Day last year but spent most of the season at their alternate training site in Tacoma. He might be best suited to handle a similar situation with the Pirates this summer.

Shelton is more concerned with how his catchers call games.

“They’ve been all-in on wanting to learn about our pitchers and our group and what we’re doing and how we’re doing that,” Shelton said. “I think when you have guys that come in with a ‘catching first’ mindset — and what I mean by that is ability to handle the pitchers, or game planning or learning the guys — it’s really important.”

That the Pirates have focused on defense-first catchers is not lost on their pitching staff, as all three catchers have made strong impressions on both starters and relievers in bullpen sessions and games.

“I think they’re all pretty solid guys, solid options that can pair with Stalls and always give you a good defensive backside backstop back there to work with and work through — and that’s really what you’re looking for as a guy coming into a game,” Pirates reliever Geoff Hartlieb said. “If it’s a leverage situation, especially, you don’t want to be worried about how he catches you or the way you work together. You want to just come at it and they know what you want to throw, what works well. I think we started with that a little bit.”

After throwing a complete game with Stallings calling pitches last September, Brault has a greater appreciation for backstops.

“I love that we’ve gotten defensive catchers,” Brault said. “They love the game. They love doing what they do.”