Photo provided by Matt Lynch
Endy Rodriguez was once considered to potentially be a big part of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ future. Come this offseason, the ebullient catcher could become part of their past.
Rodriguez was considered the Pirates’ top prospect by Baseball America going into spring training in 2023. The publication wrote: “It’s easy to dream on Rodriguez becoming a foundational piece who helps usher the Pirates out of their lengthy rebuild.”AA
Instead of a dream. Rodriguez’s career has become a nightmare through no fault of his own. He received more bad news on Wednesday.
Rodriguez underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip and won’t be able to resume baseball activities for 7-9 months. He won’t be ready for the start of spring training, though who knows when Grapefruit League play will start considering the owners are likely to lock the players out on Dec. 1 when the collective bargaining expires.
Rodriguez has had three major surgeries in less than three years.
He underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Dec. 12, 2023, after being injured while playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. Rodriguez needed aA second elbow surgery last Aug. 25 to address a problem with the ulnar nerve.
Rodriguez is 26 years old, still seemingly young enough to salvage his career. Yet it’s easy to wonder just how much toll a third surgery will take on his body, especially since the squatting required of a catcher puts a lot of stress on the hips.
The toughest aspect of Rodriguez’s latest injury is that it comes during the best season of his three years in the major leagues. Rodriguez wrested the primary catcher’s job from Henry Davis by hitting .267/.373/.467 with seven home runs and six stolen bases in 45 games. The prospect hype that surrounded Rodriguez three years earlier was finally coming to fruition.
The Pirates seemed flush with catchers when spring training began with four on the 40-man roster. However, Joey Bart was traded to the Atlanta Braves on June 18, and Rodriguez’s injury leaves Davis and Rafael Flores Jr. as the two remaining catchers.
Davis has improved dramatically behind the plate since the Pirates selected him first overall in the 2001 amateur draft. Davis leads the major leagues by throwing out 47.2 percent of runners attempting to steal, and he has eight defensive runs saved.
Davis’ career-long trouble hitting is a problem. He is a .177/.263/.295 lifetime hitter in 271 games over four seasons. Though Davis has hit a career-high eight home runs this season in 83 games, they are accompanied by a .167/.265/.295 slash line.
Flores is an impressive physical specimen and has hit six home runs and driven 14 runs for the Pirates this season in 25 games. Yet he is rough around the edges defensively, and many talent evaluators believe Flores will eventually need to move to first base.
It will be interesting to see what the Pirates do with Rodriguez in the offseason.
Rodriguez will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. The Pirates would also have to carry Rodriguez on the 40-man roster all winter because they could not place him back on the 60-day injured list until the first day of spring training.
Rodriguez won’t be overly expensive, but the bigger question is whether the Pirates would want to use a roster spot on a player who may not resume baseball activities until May.
The Pirates could release Rodriguez and re-sign him. They could also not tender Rodriguez a contract, making him a free agent and moving on.
It would be sad to see Rodriguez leave. He is a high-energy player, a significant clubhouse presence, and just beginning to enjoy success in the big leagues.
If it is the end for Endy, it would leave the Pirates and their fans wondering about what could have been.
Mentioned in this article:Endy Rodriguez Pittsburgh Pirates
More about:Opinion