Entering the Winter Meetings it was made known that the Pittsburgh Pirates were seeking to upgrade their depth behind the plate. Outside of Jacob Stallings, the team did not get much of anything from their catching position. Furthermore, the team let go of Elias Diaz at the beginning of December.
When the Winter Meetings started there were a few candidates that seemed like logical fits for the team. The first was Jason Castro, who played in Minnesota where new manager Derek Shelton assisted last season. Castro, a left-handed hitter, would have made a solid platoon mate with Stallings.