Austin Hedges is a catcher first, but it's probably fair to say he's a Pirate now to be a teacher second.
On Tuesday, the Pirates finalized a one-year, $5 million deal with the free agent backstop, giving them their presumed opening day starter and ideally a leader for a young pitching staff. Regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the game, Hedges offers an edge with the glove that can sometimes be the difference for a young club.
It certainly was last year with the Guardians, where he was their primary catcher and helped guide that staff to an unexpected division title.