Overview
- The Pirates selected Christian Bethancourt’s contract on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and also recalled left-hander Brandon Eisert as part of their September roster moves.
- Endy Rodríguez was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot after undergoing recent left hip labrum surgery, creating the vacancy Bethancourt filled.
- Bethancourt was acquired from the New York Yankees in a cash transaction on Aug. 19 and had been on Pittsburgh’s major-league taxi squad rather than with Triple-A Indianapolis.
- At Triple-A this year across the Cubs and Yankees organizations, Bethancourt hit .270/.320/.491 with 14 home runs, while his eight-season MLB line sits near .229/.259/.362; scouts cite a strong arm but ongoing issues with blocking, framing and a free-swinging approach that lowers on-base rates.
- The roster moves give Pittsburgh short-term veteran catching depth behind Henry Davis and Rafael Flores Jr. and add a left-handed arm to the big-league staff, while Rodríguez will be sidelined for at least the length of a 60-day IL stay as he recovers from surgery.