Hackers to promote Henry Davis

Pirates are preparing to call Henry Davis to the big business on Monday, Jason Mackie of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported (Twitter link). Davis is expected to make his MLB debut in the game against the Cubs.

Selected with the first overall pick of the 2021 draft, Davis will make a very quick trip to the majors, though it’s hard to say the catcher isn’t ready. Davis was crushing the ball at every level, including a .286/.432/.514 slash over 45 plate appearances in Triple-A. Although Davis has only recently been promoted to Triple-A and has only 10 games under his belt at the highest minor league level, the Pirates have seen enough to think he’s ready to contribute to the show.

The timing of the promotion could not be overlooked, as if Davis remained on a major league roster for the remainder of the season, he would rack up just 105 days of major league service time. All of this ensures that he will not achieve Super Two status, and therefore will not receive an additional year of arbitration eligibility. Given what the Pirates certainly feel Davis can be a starter for years to come, it’s perhaps not surprising that the small-market team is already watching the future price tag for the catch, assuming he lives up to expectations as a future star. Financing also factored in the Bucs choosing Davis in the first place, signing him to a $6.5 million bonus that was well below the slot value associated with the first overall pick.

Davis was among the top 100 prospects entering the season, with Keith Law (who had Davis 30), Baseball Prospectus (46), MLB Pipeline (57) and Baseball America (73) ranking him among the best minor leaguers in the game. Law cited Davis’ wrist injuries in 2022 and his need to improve against fast pitching, but Law is perhaps the highest among experts on Louisville’s product potential because Law believes Davis will be able to stick catches out of public opinion among scouts.

Although Davis has played some right field during his young career, that may be less of a reflection on his defense than the fact that Pittsburgh also has another catching opportunity. Andy Rodriguez. Since Rodriguez can also play in the outfield as well as second, there is a chance that none of the Buccaneers’ “future catchers” will end up as catcher, although having both players gives the Bucs some flexibility in determining which path is best for both players. Davis’ additional hitting ability makes him valuable wherever he is lined up in the field, though he will naturally have the greatest impact coming from the catcher’s position.

Austin Hedges And Jason DeLay They’ve mostly split catches in Pittsburgh this season, with Hedges contributing his usual excellent defense but nothing close at the plate, while Delay hitting .304/.371/.418 on 91 PA. Since the Pirates are clearly not bringing in Davis to bench, that creates an interesting short-term problem for the Pirates in deciding which catcher to stay. Delay still has three minor league options, so the most likely scenario is to send him to Triple-A while Hedges remains as a complement to first gauntlet and possibly defensive mentor to Davis. If Davis establishes himself as a big end, Delay could become an interesting trading chip for the Buccaneers to market at the trade deadline.

It’s a great deal to ask Davis to provide for you Adley Rochman– a terrific influence on the Pirates lineup, replicating how Rutschman’s promotion almost immediately sparked the Orioles from rebuilding the team into a contender in 2022. However, the Pirates have a 34-35 record but are only 1.5 games outside of first place in the NL Central and 3.5 games from the wild card dock. Given the compact nature of the National League standings, the Pirates still have a chance to make a playoff push, but at least the team has already shown their rebuilding status is up.