BRADENTON, Fla. — It is, in many ways, a good problem to have: two talented prospects vying to become the long-term answer at the same position. It's also something of an anomaly. Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis aren't bitter rivals or enemies. They both want to become the Pirates' catcher of the future, sure, but they're also friends.
That changed some when Davis was re-assigned to minor league camp on Tuesday, but it still exists in the big picture. Rodriguez and Davis are fighting for the same thing. Yet in their minds, it's more about helping the Pirates spin out of their ongoing rebuild than it is winning a job or sticking it to the other player.
"I think it'll sort itself out," Davis said. "By that I mean, however it goes, I trust the people in charge of making the roster and writing the lineup card. That's not me. I just do my job when my name is called and root for Endy in any way possible because he's one of my good friends. I care about him a lot."
The progress each has shown here has been noticeable — and worth mentioning in this space.
Davis had just one hit in six at-bats during his spring training time with the big club but scored four runs, collected two RBIs and walked three times. Of course, he was hit by a pair of pitches because the sun also came up those days. Davis also showed off a willingness to run, an he's eager to infuse that into his game. (It's college, but Davis did swipe 10 bags in 50 games during his final season at Louisville.)
Another focal point has been something Davis learned last season from former Pirate Jason Kendall: swinging in such a way that protects his wrists and fingers. During their mentor-mentee relationship, Kendall talked to Davis about using padding in certain places — the latter has been sampling a wrist guard — and knowing when it's OK to wear a pitch and when it's not.
"The HBPs were a bit of a headline last year, but a lot of it was at the lower levels," Davis said, explaining that just one of the eight times he was hit at Altoona involved a fastball.
"When I'm facing better command, if a breaking ball gets away from a guy, no damage done, who cares? Fastball that runs up and in, like Kendall has talked about, tuck your hands, roll your body, and if it hits you in the meat, take your base."
The bigger issue for Davis is probably offense. When he's been healthy, he has produced, which included a .260 average and .875 OPS in 17 games at the Arizona Fall League. Left wrist issues bugged Davis for much of the 2022 season, but he did close the Double-A season with an .840 OPS over his final eight games.
Can he produce at Triple-A? That'll be the determining factor of when, and under what circumstances, Davis makes it to Pittsburgh, the same as Rodriguez. There's a good chance they start there and share time in the minors as well.
Now considered the Pirates' second-best prospect by MLB Pipeline and the 55th-best in the entire sport, Rodriguez could push for a major league promotion with a strong start in Indianapolis, where hit .455 with four extra-base hits and eight RBIs during a productive six-game cameo at the end of 2022.
Rodriguez, the Pirates' slam-dunk minor league player of the year this past season, hit 25 homers, compiled 95 RBIs and batted .323 across three levels, attracting plenty of attention along the way. The prospect shine has obviously been enjoyable for Rodriguez, validation for a job well done, but he hasn't let it get to his head.
"The only thing I think about is what I can control," Rodriguez said. "That's giving 100 percent at practice and in the game. That's all I'm worried about."
That and potentially bringing the right glove to the field. As this situation advances, it's becoming more and more likely that Davis and Rodriguez — should they both pan out as prospects — could share a position, with one the primary catcher and the other bouncing around.
Bet money on that second role being held by Rodriguez, who has taken more reps at first and second base and is also comfortable in the outfield. Davis dabbled in the outfield last season but is probably seen as more of a natural catcher.
The roster stretching makes sense from a team perspective, as it's a way to leverage that backup catcher spot; the Pirates would theoretically be giving it to a productive offensive player instead of a solid defensive guy with limited hitting ability.
The difficult part, of course, is figuring out a way to keep everyone happy and focused on the same goal — which, with these two, has felt rather easy.
"Both of us have a lot of talent," said Rodriguez, who has four hits, including a pair of doubles, in 12 spring training at-bats through Wednesday. "We both can help the team whenever they think we're ready."
