The Pirates have found their replacement for Jacob Stallings, at least in the short-term, signing two-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Pérez to a one-year contract.
The deal will pay him $5 million and is pending a physical, per source.
The appeal of Pérez is obviously his defense, where he won back-to-back Gold Gloves for the Indians in 2019 and 2020. Over the past three seasons, his 35 defensive runs saved are the second-most among all catchers, trailing only Stallings (42). 30 of those DRS came in 2019 though, and he was worth -1 DRS in 2021.
Still he has a good reputation in both pitch framing, saving 43 runs this way over his eight-year major league career, blocking and throwing out runners, getting 71% of would-be base stealers in the abbreviated 2020 season and 39% throughout his career.
The concern is with his bat. While he has had good years in the past -- like in 2019 where he hit 24 home runs and recorded a .774 OPS -- he is coming off back-to-back terrible years at the plate. He hit just .165 with a .480 OPS over 110 plate appearances in the abbreviated 2020 season, and slashed .149/.245/.319 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs over 161 trips to the plate in 2021.
Injury problems also played in a role in his struggles. He fractured the ring finger in his right hand in May, requiring surgery and causing him to miss two months. In August, he was sidelined with inflammation in his right shoulder and back spasms.
Pérez is the only catcher on the Pirates' roster, so keeping him upright will be imperative.
The Indians, who now go by the Guardians, declined a $7 million option on Pérez last month, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. He will turn 33 next month.
For Pérez, he will be tasked with one of the most daunting duties with any incoming Pirate in recent years: Trying to replace Stallings.
Stallings won his first Gold Glove in 2021, but was just as valuable as a team leader and managing the pitching staff. Pérez worked with some very talented Indians pitchers the past few years, including catching Cy Young winners Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber. The Pirates should be graduating several highly ranked pitchers into the majors next season, including Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure.