What an offseason it has been for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The departures of Pedro Alvarez and J.A. Happ, the needs to fill their voids, and the trade of Neil Walker have taken most of the spotlight in the Pirates Twittersphere during the Winter Meetings. Though questions surround the first base position and the starting rotation, one position in the Pirates’ lineup seems solidified: catcher.
It was a little over a year ago that the Pirates were preparing to deal with life after Russell Martin. Though it was reported that the Pirates did everything that they could to re-sign Martin, he ended up inking a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $82 million, a contract that was way out of the Bucs’ price range.
Many thought that it would be an impossible task to replace a guy like Russell Martin, who put up such big numbers in a Pirates uniform. In 2014, Martin hit .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs in 111 games. The previous year, Martin slumped a bit at the plate, only hitting .226, but also contributed 15 home runs and 55 RBIs to the Pirates’ offense. We also cannot forget that he delivered a signature moment in the 2013 Wild Card Game, homering off of Johnny Cueto following an abundance of “Cue-to” chants from the PNC faithful.
Less than a week before Martin signed with Toronto, Pirates’ General Manager Neil Huntington looked to a guy who had never been a solidified starter in the Major Leagues due to various injury issues throughout his career. On Nov. 12 of 2014, Francisco Cervelli was acquired from the New York Yankees for relief pitcher Justin Wilson in an attempt to replace a guy who many thought was irreplaceable.
Before the deal, Pirates’ fans were already prepared to cope for the loss of Martin. However, there was a lack of conviction that Cervelli, and backup Chris Stewart, could help fill the void left by the former all-star.
In 2015, the doubters were proven wrong as Cervelli took advantage of his starting opportunity. From the moment he stepped foot on the field for Opening Day 2015, Cervelli looked as if he was on a mission to convince Pirate fans that he was the new solidified starter behind the dish. From creating a strong relationship with the pitching staff to coming up clutch in big situations, Cervelli did it all in 2015. He posted career highs in almost every offensive category, hitting .295 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs in 130 games. He proved to be capable of being the number one guy and was backed up well by Stewart, who held his own with a .289 clip and 15 RBIs in 58 games.
The fact of the matter is that Cervelli, in some ways, made Pirate fans forget about Russell Martin. Though Martin did a lot for the organization during their resurgence, Cervelli provided some key moments in the Pirates’ historic 98-win season.
June 15, 2015 is a date that I won’t forget. It’s not the date of a specific milestone or a clutch walk-off win, but it is the date that Cervelli stood out to me most as THE GUY to replace Russell Martin. The Pirates were opening up a four-game inter-league series with the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park and carried a modest four-game winning streak into the series opener. With the Pirates up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning of game one, Cervelli came to the plate and delivered a clutch two-run triple into the right-center field gap. Cervelli slid into third base with a gigantic smile on his face, clapping his hands and pointing into the Pirates dugout. The energy that the starting backstop showed in this scenario was priceless. That is the energy he brought all season long. His emotion showed an obvious love for the game and his play on the field showed an obvious appreciation for the opportunity that the organization had given him.
This past season, Francisco Cervelli showed the baseball world that an opportunity is all a baseball player really needs. The hunger and determination will take care of the rest. Cervelli shocked everyone with his stellar performance in 2015, but the best is yet to come. Though 2016 is the last year on Cervelli’s contract, he may be playing for a lengthy, big money extension. That reason alone could be cause for expecting a little bit more of the same from the 29-year old backstop in the new year.
MORE FROM PIRATES BREAKDOWN
- Pittsburgh Pirates Winter Meetings Day Three Recap
- Neil Walker is no longer a Pirate
- Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast – Pirates at the Winter Meetings
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