What Pirates Are Getting in New Catcher Jose Herrera
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates realized they needed help at catcher and made sure they addressed it.
The Pirates signed catcher Jose Herrera to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis, per his transactions log.
Herrera is not on the 40-man roster, but would be available if the Pirates need him later on in the season.
It's not the most crucial roster move the Pirates will make in 2026, but Herrera is an important addition, nonetheless.
Why the Pirates Signed Herrera
The Pirates don't have many catchers in the minor leagues and few options if they need to call someone up to the major leagues.
Pittsburgh has both Henry Davis and rookie Rafael Flores Jr. as their main catchers, and also recalled Christian Bethancourt once rosters expanded to 28 players at the start of September.
The Pirates traded for Bethancourt on Aug. 19, after the New York Yankees designated him for assignment, so they parted with cash considerations.
Pittsburgh has two other catchers at Triple-A Indianapolis: Cameron Barstad, a 25-year-old who hasn't played in MLB yet, plus 24-year-old Derek Berg, who has hit just .163/.242/.267 with an OPS of .509 in 26 games since earning promotion from Double-A Altoona.
The Pirates have some intriguing catching prospects in the farm system, like Easton Carmichael at Altoona, Axiel Plaz at High-A Greensboro and Edgleen Perez at Single-A Bradenton, but this trio isn't ready for MLB just yet.
What the Pirates Get in Hererra
Herrera has four seasons of MLB experience and already puts him ahead of the other options for the Pirates if they need to call upon another catcher.
He featured in 40-60 games for the Diamondbacks from 2022-25, which included 43 games in the 2023 season when they made the World Series.
It's not been an easy time for Herrera as a hitter in the major leagues, slashing .200/.280/.259 for an OPS of .539 in 190 games, with 95 hits, 17 doubles, three home runs, 42 RBI and 54 walks to 138 strikeouts.
He has shown good pop time, the time it takes him to throw to second base on a steal attempt, and has done a good job catching base stealers overall.
Herrera spent 11 years in the Diamondbacks farm system, signing at 17 years old in 2014 from Venezuela and played seven seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.