Jonathan Mayo had a an article from a few days ago in which he mentioned that the Pittsburgh Pirates plan to use Connor Joe in the outfielder during the rest of this season, then get him work behind the plate in the Fall Instructional League.
The Pirates took Joe with the 39th overall pick in the draft this year and signed him ten days ago. He has been assigned to the Jamestown roster and hasn’t played his first game yet. During the draft, Joe was announced as a right fielder, but he has more value as a catcher, where his bat is more suitable.
The move by the Pirates to use him in the outfielder didn’t make much sense at first. It’s a position of strength in the system and his bat doesn’t play well for a corner outfield spot. He projects to be a solid average hitter, who should hit a lot of doubles. Defensively behind the plate, he is considered a bit raw, though he does have a strong arm and quick release. So he is a project at the catcher spot, but isn’t someone that needs to be rushed through the system, especially if it ends up being as a right fielder.
Joe can also play some first base, another position where his bat may not be good enough to give him high value as an everyday player. No plans have been announced to get him playing time there yet. If he gets good enough behind the plate, they may have a versatile player that can get into the lineup at three different positions
