The Pittsburgh Pirates have been using catcher Francisco Cervelli in a
creative, and smart, way this spring
For one reason or another sports teams need to get creative
with certain players. This spring, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been creative
with their use of starting catcher Francisco Cervelli. This creativity from
the Pirates is a smart idea and one that could pay off in the upcoming season.
As Pirate fans know Cervelli has a past history of
concussions. After suffering multiple concussions with the New York Yankees,
Cervelli has missed time due to concussions each of the past two seasons. This
came after being concussion free during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates wanted to find a way to limit Cervelli’s
susceptibility to concussions this season. Not just for the best interest of
the team, but, even more importantly, for the best interest of Francisco
himself. In their efforts to protect Cervelli, the Pirates have used him
differently this spring.
Cervelli is known as one of the best defensive catchers in
baseball. He is already a proven handler of a pitching staff, and has a rapport
with most of the team’s pitching staff. Combine this with Cervelli catching the
pitching staff’s side work and bullpen sessions, and there is no need for him
to be logging a large volume of innings behind the plate this spring.
Due to this, Cervelli has been appearing in Grapefruit
League as a first baseman and a designated hitter this spring. By doing this
Cervelli is still getting his spring at bats logged, but he is not experiencing
the wear and tear of catching. Most importantly, he is not risking any foul
balls to the mask which have caused him concussions in the past.
Using Cervelli this way is also smart because it allows him
to get more work in at first base. Toward the end of last season the Pirates
began to use Cervelli at first base at times. This can allow Cervelli to serve
as Josh Bell‘s backup at first base, it is a
way to keep Cervelli’s bat in the lineup while giving him a day off from
catching, and it is a way to get both Cervelli and Elias Diaz in the lineup.
Speaking of Diaz, he may miss the start of the season due
to an undisclosed illness. If this were to happen, it would only add to the
importance of Cervelli being healthy. While Jacob Stallings is an excellent
defender, the offensive drop off from Cervelli/Diaz to Stallings is
substantial.
The way the Pirates have used Cervelli this spring has been
creative and smart. They are getting him his spring ABs, allowing him to work
his defense at first base, and protecting him from the wear and tear of
catching. In the long run, this could prove to be beneficial for Cervelli and
may add to the number of games he is able to catch during the 2019 season.
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