The Pittsburgh Pirates since 2011 have seen the likes of Ryan Doumit to Rod Barajas to Russell Martin and now to Francisco Cervelli start the as the Pirates catcher. Half of that list is a group of catchers who probably should’ve been moved elsewhere on the diamond, and they happen to be the first two on the list.
The 2013 season brought the change to focusing on Russell Martin and catcher defense was an underrated talent in the market. When he left in free agency, the Pirates rolled the dice on Francisco Cervelli and his health.