The Pirates announced the signings of a pair of veteran players who should give them more options in areas where there are open competitions and jobs to be won.
Catcher Kevin Plawecki and lefty Caleb Smith have both signed minor-league deals with invitations to spring training, the club announced Sunday.
Plawecki, 31, has been in the majors each of the last eight seasons, including making the Red Sox opening day roster as the backup catcher the last three years. While he graded poorly as a defender last year, being worth -10 defensive runs saved, he has a little bit of recent success as a hitter. In the span of 88 games from 2020 to 2021, he hit .305 with a .778 OPS and 108 OPS+. That did drop off in 2022, where he hit .220 with a .572 OPS between the Red Sox and the Rangers.
In 449 career major-league games, Plawecki has slashed .235/.313/.341 with 22 home runs and 137 RBIs. FanGraphs values him as a career 2.2 WAR player.
Plawecki will presumably be in the mix for the Pirates' backup catcher job, which includes Tyler Heineman and Jason Delay, their most-used catchers last season.
Smith, 31, made the transition into the bullpen last season, where he posted a 4.11 ERA over 70 innings with the Diamondbacks. While he did excel at limiting hard contact -- his 29.9% hard-hit rate ranked in the top 3% of major-league pitchers last year -- he had trouble consistently locating the zone. He ranked 12.9% among his batters-faced, which was in the bottom 2% of the league.
A former starter, it would seem more likely Smith is given a look as a reliever, considering the Pirates have added to their rotation options this winter and have some prospects they can call up from the minors. As far as lefty relievers go, the Pirates picked up free agent Jarlín García. If they want a second lefty, they can choose between Rule 5 selection Jose Hernandez, Smith, or fellow minor-league free agent pickups Angel Perdomo and Daniel Zamora.
Smith has a 20-30 career record with a 4.55 ERA over six major-league seasons.
There are now 67 players who will be heading to the Pirates' major-league spring training. Pitchers and catchers report Tuesday, and the first full-team workout will be Feb. 20.
The full roster of invites can be found here.
