The Pittsburgh Pirates kept Henry Davis at the deadline, but the more revealing story was that they were even in a position to talk about moving him.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees checked in with Pittsburgh while trying to add catching help in the final hour before the deadline. New York eventually passed, with Sherman writing that Davis was “not the kind of bad hitter they need,” a harsh line that also landed right on the uncomfortable truth about where Davis stands as a major leaguer.
Davis is hitting .173 with a .271 OBP, eight home runs and a .591 OPS in 197 at-bats this season. Over his big league career, the former No. 1 overall pick has a .179 average and a .565 OPS in 778 at-bats since debuting in 2023.
The real surprise wasn’t the Yankees’ decision. It was that the Pirates were apparently willing to listen at all.
For the last year, Davis had seemed to occupy a protected spot inside the organization because of his connection with Paul Skenes. Davis became Skenes’ personal catcher, helped guide the ace through a dominant season and posted a 2.87 catcher’s ERA in 2025, the best mark among qualified major-league catchers.
Whether Skenes ever actually had veto power over a Davis trade is beside the point. The feeling around the situation was clear: Pittsburgh didn’t want to risk upsetting the face of the franchise by dealing the catcher he trusted most.
But deadline conversations with the Yankees pointed to a different reality. Davis may still matter to the Pirates, but he no longer looks untouchable.
That doesn’t mean Pittsburgh was shopping him aggressively. Teams float all kinds of names in the chaos before the deadline.
Still, the Pirates didn’t shut the door immediately, and that matters. They listened.
And it’s easy to see why Davis’ standing has changed. The defense and the game-calling can only carry him so far when the bat is producing a .591 OPS.
At some point, even a catcher tied closely to Skenes has to hit enough to justify being treated like a core piece. Right now, Davis’ offensive numbers look more like those of a backup catcher hanging onto a job.
The Yankees apparently didn’t see enough of an upgrade to push harder, and that’s a rough verdict for Pittsburgh. But it also makes the situation clearer. Davis’ struggles have reached the point where even Skenes’ influence can’t make him completely off-limits.
He stayed put at the deadline. For the first time, though, it feels like he might not be there forever.
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