Until there is a big name prospect who places on the Pirates’ prospect rankings, a conversation around first base will always be there.
For years, the Pirates have filled the role with patchwork solutions, usually in the form of one year rentals and journeymen/minor leagues after the trade deadline.
Things went a little different this time around. The Pirates kept their free agent singing after the deadline, leaving some stability in play for at least the remainder of the year. But moving forward, the Pirates still have some stuff to figure out at first base.
This was a fascinating little conversation to have with @KG_55VFTG, probably better known as Voice of the Graves on Twitter/X. If you aren’t following her yet, I highly recommend.
But I wanted to go more in depth on this topic, and get my thoughts out in a (hopefully) more concise way. So here we go:
How Tellez Impacts Joe, And The Future
It was quite the story earlier in the season, as free agent signee Rowdy Tellez was viciously booed each and every time he came to the plate.
The first baseman, who had stuck up for teammate David Bednar when he said “we don’t do that here” after Bednar suffered a barrage of boos after blowing a game, was now suffering the same fate.
The future of first base was anyone’s guess. Tellez was losing starts to utility man Connor Joe, whose first half performance was excellent, but also exaggerated when compared to how awful Tellez was at the time.
But now it’s August. Rowdy Tellez has rebounded, perhaps even surged into one of the team’s more important players. Connor Joe has fallen off a cliff and been relegated to a bench role, and the stability of a first base job seems mostly secure in the hands of Tellez.
Until October.
Tellez signed a one year contract with the Pirates. Joe, while still under team control, is in a bit of danger of losing his roster spot. And first base becomes another question once the offseason arrives.
That loaded question starts with the proposition of bringing Tellez back. That’s depending on a lot of factors, but price is probably the biggest.
It was rocky, really rocky, early on, but as his season picked up this fan base had embraced Tellez as a Pirate just as much as he did.
You’d never believe this back in May, but if Tellez leaves in free agency I think he will be greatly missed. But for all he’s done since June onwards, you can’t count out what happened in April and May in any contract negotiation.
Tellez signed for $3.2 million with the Pirates. Personally, I think anything over $4 million might be pushing it a little.
He’s on pace for one of his overall better batting seasons; he’s currently batting .252, something he has not done with any team in a season while playing 60+ games.
If that pace holds, one thinks he’s in line for a small range.
But as previously mentioned, Tellez batted .177 and had an OPS of .463 during April and May. It was detrimental to the team at the time. That should drag his price down a little bit.
Personally, I’d be fine if Tellez returned. I think this roster needs a lot of work, but out of anyone or any position that should be replaced/upgraded, Tellez is no longer anywhere near the top of the list.
But things fall through. This franchise doesn’t have a history of re-signing free agents they acquired – not in recent history, anyways.
So let’s play out some hypotheticals if Tellez doesn’t return, whether that’s his choice, the organization’s, or it’s a mutual decision.
That probably bodes well for Connor Joe. In fact, it might save his job, for reasons I’ll get into a little bit more later.
Joe started the season as one of Pittsburgh’s most important players, but he has fallen off massively as the season went along. Since the middle of June, Joe is batting .198.
His play can no longer justify him being an everyday starter, and Tellez has sealed off most of his potential days to play first base.
However, if Tellez is gone, there’s an opening for Joe again. It might be Joe’s only real path to keeping a job with the Pirates. With the organization adding some our fielding depth, including names like Billy Cook and Nick Yorke who are appearing now in Triple-A Indianapolis, Joe’s time as an outfielder with the Pirates could be done soon.
But why couldn’t he still be a platoon first baseman if Tellez came back? I’m so glad you asked.
The Henry/Endy Angle
The answer is Joey Bart.
Bart, who started his here in San Francisco, has revived his major league career in Pittsburgh this season. A former second overall pick by the Giants, he could never quite live up to the massive shows he was expected to fill on the bay.
After a few years, the club moved on, and shipped him to Pittsburgh for a minor league pitcher who is still several years from getting close to bigs. It’s paid off in spades for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.
With no exaggeration, Bart has become one of the most important Pirates down the stretch as they try and stave off a complete collapse. His power and consistency at the plate has been a god send for the Pirates.
But because Bart has been so good, he has pushed himself into a prime role with the Pirates as a catcher in 2025, god forbid an all out catastrophe to his bat.
This is a good problem to have for the Pirates, but it’s one that requires some thinking from the front office moving forward. Catcher Endy Rodriguez is set to return in 2025, and Henry Davis also figures to get another chance as well.
Rodriguez has little to prove in catching ability, being trusted to play 57 games after his midseason call up in 2023. You’d like to see the bat improve a little, but there’s still a ton of time for the 23-year old.
Then there’s Henry Davis, the former first overall pick by the Pirates in 2021. He’s got all the tools to be a great hitter (it’s why the team drafted him), but he’s yet to establish himself as a major leaguer.
A lot of fans point to his ability to consistently rake in Triple-A, but until he finds a way to bring that side of himself to Pittsburgh, he’s not assured anything.
A lot of this planning revolves around Davis’ ability to hold a major league position. But let’s say he does in this hypothetical.
Now you’ve got three good, young catchers who you’d like to keep on your roster. One of them has to do something besides catch.
Here’s where first base comes back into play.
It’s been a long standing idea that the Pirates should/would eventually move one of those guys to first base. Nothing but a gut feeling tells me it will be Davis long term, but as he slowly rehabs from injury, the Pirates have given Rodriguez some work at first base.
For this hypothetical, it doesn’t really matter, as long as one of them takes a first base job and the other splits catching duties with Joey Bart.
All Options On The Table
However, this is where it comes back to Tellez and Joe. Which of the first base tandems would the Pirates feel most comfortable with?
• Tellez/Davis
•Tellez/Rodriguez
•Joe/Davis
•Joe/Rodriguez
Teller brings veteran experience with the position, which could help a newbie to the role. Joe does as well, but this season has showed that with more exposure, he is less effective.
The smart option then probably becomes to bring back Tellez and pair him with one of Davis or Rodriguez.
This conversation is entirely independent of any outside personnel the Pirates might try to bring in. At this point in this season, it’s too early to really tell who would be available.
But given their past history, their belief in Davis still, and the options they have, I don’t see the Pirates going out and getting any big name first baseman.
The Andrew McCutchen Situation
Alright, let’s get just a little more crazy here at the end. Davis’ immediate future with the Pirates could also hinge on if the team re-signs Andrew McCutchen. He turns 38 next month, and while he is still a serviceable ball player, he has shown signs of winding down.
Last season, he and the Pirates re-upped on a one year extension worth $5 million. Does the team do that again?
If they don’t, Davis could have a role in the designated hitter position. There’s only one small problem with that: you want your designated hitter to, you know, hit. Until Davis proves he actually can in MLB, that route should be off limits.
Davis as a pure DH would provide no value to this team. If he plays a position, at least he’s filling in a job, whether it’s catcher, first base, or when he moonlights as a right fielder.
It’s a LOT to think about and take in, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. How would you handle this first base conundrum heading into 2025?
(Featured photo of Rowdy Tellez by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
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