Pittsburgh Pirates may consider Rod Barajas as pursuit for a catcher continues – MLB News
Pittsburgh Pirates' general manager Neal Huntington has dropped a hint that the club may consider Rod Barajas’ name for the catcher’s position. The Pirates are currently looking to add another catcher to the roster.
Decision in this regard will be taken after due deliberations.Earlier, the club had actually declined his $3.5 million option for 2013.
"Absolutely, we'll keep the door open and see if he wants to come back," Huntington said, "We'll see if we want him to come back. Is there still a fit when everything comes together, or not?"
He was instrumental when he represented the Los Angeles Dodgers, being not only good defensively but also offensively. However, that which figured prominently was the fact that he had gotten 20 of 80 runners out.
If the talks go ahead, it will bode well for the team which is in pursuit of a catcher in the seemingly thin market of catchers.
For now, the Pirates have Michael McKenry in their roster. But the Pirates want a catcher who can perform consistently both in defence and offence. That is what the general manager alluded to while speaking on the issue that is understandably a new topic in the discourse.
Huntington said, “We'd love to be in a situation where we're one of the few in the industry that has a surefire No. 1 that's going to catch 130 games, but the reality is the catching position has almost become like the running back position in football -- you'd better have two pretty good ones if you want to get through the season. We're looking for someone to team with Michael."
The Pittsburgh Pirates, which missed an opportunity to make it to the post-season games for the first time in years, allowed most steals this year (154) and caught the fewest runners (19).
Throwing percentage was also the lowest in the National League which was a huge setback for the team as the season progressed. That lacklustre performance is what the club wants to avoid in the upcoming season; wherein the position is filled by someone who is defensively and offensively flawless.
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