Diamondbacks GM: 'I'm not going to pursue another catcher'

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart emphasized Tuesday he's not inclined to add another catcher to his roster this offseason to replace Miguel Montero, quashing recent rumors linking the club to Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila.

Stewart's willingness to head into the upcoming season with just one catcher on his 40-man roster with MLB experience is due largely to the continued development of Peter O'Brien, the 24-year-old who posted an .859 OPS at Double-A last year.

"I've decided that I'm not going to pursue another catcher," Stewart told Nick Piecoro of AZCentral. "I talked with my people and my coaching staff. They believe that O'Brien is going to be around sooner than later. If that does happen, there's no need to go out and get another guy.

"We would have had to trade somebody we didn't want to trade to make it happen. We're going to be patient and allow the progression of O'Brien to take place and stand pat on that."

Selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 2012 draft, O'Brien was acquired by the Diamondbacks in July in exchange for infielder Martin Prado. Though he's not considered a top prospect, O'Brien continues to improve his defensive skills and has produced offensively at virtually every stop he's made throughout the minor leagues.

"He just needs to catch more," Diamondbacks farm director Mike Bell said in October. "He needs more consistent reps behind the plate. With his bat, that would be a nice weapon to have (playing catcher)."