The two catchers on the Pirates' active roster have a grand total of eight games of major league experience.
However, John Russell does not see that as cause for alarm. Instead, the manager sees the situation as an opportunity for rookies Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz to establish themselves in the big leagues now that Ryan Doumit will miss at least two months with a broken right wrist. "If they didn't have talent, there would be reason to be concerned," Russell said. "They are good young catchers that we've been happy to acquire from other organizations.
"If you look around baseball, the hardest position to develop players at is catcher. For the last seven or eight years, teams have been looking for catching depth. These guys didn't fall off trucks. They're good young players, and I think we're fortunate they're around after losing someone like Ryan."
The Pirates acquired Jaramillo from Philadelphia in December in a trade for catcher Ronny Paulino. Diaz came from Toronto last August in a deal for third baseman Jose Bautista.
Jaramillo will get the majority of starts and is excited about the opportunity, though he is disappointed that it came at the expense of a teammate.
"It's tough to see a guy like Ryan go down because he's a great player and been a big help to me," Jaramillo said. "I came to the park prepared every day when he was healthy just in case I was needed, and nothing will change. I'll do everything I can to help the team win until Ryan gets healthy."
