The Pirates have suffered a big loss at a position they thought was finally stable after years of uncertainty. Catcher Endy Rodriguez has had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow after being injured November 13th swinging at a pitch in the Dominican Winter League. The surgery to reconstruct his ulnar collateral ligament and repair his flexor tendon was performed yesterday. He will not be able to resume baseball activity for ten to twelve months.
Rodriguez hit .220 with three home runs in 57 games as a rookie last year. He and Henry Davis are two of the top-rated catching prospects in baseball, although Rodriguez was expected to handle most of the catching duties in 2024 with Davis also getting time in the outfield and at designated hitter. Davis has been working on his catching skills this offseason. The Pirates also have veteran backup Jason Delay and newly-signed defensive specialist Ali Sanchez.
The Bucs have signed former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez. It’s a one-year deal worth $3.2 million, with incentives that could increase its value to $4 million. The 28-year-old hit .215 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 105 games last season. In 2022, he hit 35 home runs with 89 RBIs.
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