MLB

Elias Diaz Should Start 2015 With The Pittsburgh Pirates

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By @Tweets_ByJ

Neal Huntington

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When one thinks of the Pittsburgh Pirates, there is a lot of attention given to the success of the major league team. But one aspect that is overlooked quite a bit is the team’s strong farm system. The Pirates have a top prospect at almost every position, all ready to step up and make an impact in the majors when their time comes. And that time is coming up fast for catcher Elias Diaz.

The current catcher for the Pirates is one of the best in the game, Russell Martin, but he is a free agent this offseason. And because he is so good and the Pirates are a small market team, it is fair to assume another team will outbid the Pirates for his services this winter. That means Neal Huntington and the Pirates need to find a replacement for Martin. There is nothing good on the free agent market other than Martin, so the new catcher will come internally. The team has Chris Stewart who underperformed as the backup catcher last season and Tony Sanchez who has disappointed since being a first-round draft pick. This is where Diaz comes in.

Diaz was signed by the Pirates out of the Dominican Republic and has always been seen as a strong defensive catcher. But this season in Double-A Altoona, he hit well above average with a slash line of .328/.378/.445. Those stats are in Double-A, but Diaz has still had some success in higher levels.  He played only one week in Triple-A last season, but he is starting in the Arizona Fall League this winter with a less impressive slash line of .259/.375/.370. This is against talent that has played in the majors and a much higher talent level than Diaz has ever faced before. And he is still having success offensively, along with gaining much praise for his defensive work.

The Pirates are likely going to need a new catcher this offseason, and they should take a shot with Diaz. He is a similar player to Martin, playing with great defense and getting on base at a high clip, and he would provide just as much, if not more, value than any free agent or other internal options the Pirates have. The Pirates don’t usually push players from Double-A to the majors, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If the Pirates lose Martin this offseason, Huntington and the rest of the front office have to make a bold decision and name Diaz the new starting catcher.

Justin Broyles is a Pirates writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @Tweets_ByJ, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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