Pirates Option Catcher Endy Rodríguez to Triple-A Indianapolis to Start 2026

Endy Rodríguez posted the best offensive numbers of any catcher in Pittsburgh's Grapefruit League camp, then packed for Indianapolis. The Pirates optioned the 25-year-old on March 19, confirming what the organization had quietly mapped out well before spring training opened: Henry Davis and Joey Bart would form the major league catching tandem to start 2026.

Across 10 Grapefruit League games, Rodríguez slashed .308/.400/.577 with an OPS of .977, going 8-for-26 with a double, two home runs, six RBI and 10 runs scored over 30 plate appearances. He made four starts at designated hitter and two behind the plate. The numbers were compelling enough that the disconnect between performance and outcome drew immediate attention.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now called the move "tough but logical," noting Rodríguez was "far and away the Pirates' best catcher this spring" while acknowledging the Davis-Bart tandem had always been the organizational plan. Rumbunter writer Dominic Campbell argued the decision felt pre-determined, framing it as a developmental necessity rather than a merit-based call: Rodríguez needs consistent everyday reps, including catching, throwing, blocking and recovery work, that a bench role in a crowded major league catching room simply cannot provide.

The developmental rationale carries weight given what Rodríguez has been through. He missed all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery. In 2025, a laceration to his right hand in April sidelined him for six weeks, and after returning he required an ulnar nerve transposition that ended his season entirely. He appeared in just 18 major league games last year, batting .173 (9-for-52) with four doubles and two RBI.

By contrast, neither Davis nor Bart distinguished themselves this spring. Davis went 2-for-22, while Bart was 5-for-31 with 13 strikeouts. Pittsburgh Baseball Now noted that Davis has developed into a strong defensive catcher and is a personal favorite of reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, a factor that carries organizational weight beyond batting lines.

In Indianapolis, Rodríguez will split catching duties with Rafael Flores and is expected to see time at first base as well. The Pirates optioned him as part of trimming their big league camp to 37 players, the fifth such roster reduction since March 8. Earlier moves sent infielder Jack Brannigan to Indianapolis after he broke his nose against the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater on February 22, and right-handed reliever Ryan Harbin after he suffered a teres major and lat injury that placed him on a six-week no-throw list.

Rodríguez is one of four catchers on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster. If Davis or Bart falter or go down with injury, the organization has a capable option waiting 90 miles down the roster hierarchy. As Pittsburgh Baseball Now put it, Rodríguez "if healthy, will be needed by the Pirates at some point during the 2026 season." The spring numbers made that case more convincingly than anyone in Pittsburgh's front office probably needed.