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By Jarrod Prugar
For the Mirror
Catching prospects Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis are together once again, now only one step away from Pittsburgh, following the promotion of Davis.
The Pirates recently promoted Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis after he ran roughshod over the Eastern League with the Curve. Davis was hitting .284 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs at the time of his promotion.
Rodriguez is no slouch either as he was hitting .247 with four home runs and 16 RBIs ahead of Tuesday's game for Indianapolis.
While Rodriguez's stats aren't lighting the world on fire just yet, he did miss some time with an injury.
Two players who play the catcher position and can hit the ball with relative ease is a great problem to have in an organization known as typically weak at the catching position at least offensively.
Having two catchers who can both hit and defend is the perfect situation for the Pirates especially with the current catching situation in Pittsburgh.
Pirates starting catcher Austin Hedges, who was signed for his defensive prowess, was hitting .184 entering Tuesday's game while backup Jason Delay was hitting .310 in limited action.
The ultimate goal is for Rodriguez and Davis to be in Pittsburgh and playing catcher. Clearly, they're not able to play the position at the same time, but both have been getting work at other positions. Davis appeared in right field while in Altoona, and Rodriguez has played first base when he's not catching for the Indians.
However, catching is much more than hitting. It has the longest development time out of all positions as it's the most detail-oriented position.
The reason Davis is now there -- and why Rodriguez has been there all season -- is two-fold: they're ready and they get to work with former Major League catcher, and also former Curve manager, Miguel Perez.
The value of working with Perez is what makes Indianapolis the most important stop for the duo's development. They'll get lessons in pitch sequencing, dugout awareness and how to handle pitching staffs under Perez's tutelage.
Those are the things that will matter most in addition to being able to hit at the next level.
Now, with both in the same lineup, it's a distinct glimpse of the future for the Pirates and the perfect opportunity to figure out the best way to maximize both players behind the plate and elsewhere.
Industry sources have mentioned to me they feel both players are more than capable at hitting in the middle of the order for a multitude of Major League teams including the Pirates now.
The Pirates will continue to be patient and deliberate with their development as this is the type of situation that comes along once in a lifetime.
For now, enjoy the ride and their development as the future is coming and is only a step away from being in Pittsburgh for what should be years to come.