Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Humberto Cota is no longer 9 years old, but he's still just as thrilled to be a teammate with boyhood idol Benito Santiago. Click photo for larger image. More Pirates Coverage: Pirates Notebook: Perez throws for first time, keeps himself under control Hot Stove: Pirates take chance on Koonce

BRADENTON, Fla. -- It is raining on the fields of Pirate City, and puddles riddle the outfield. The nearby batting cages and pitching machines are being closed down, and the players are filing back to the locker room.

Within minutes, two of them, catchers Humberto Cota and Benito Santiago, return outside bearing only their gloves and a ball to do what they do best: Play catch.

For Cota, it is a dream come true of mind-bending proportion.

He was 9 years old when his father drove him from his home in San Luis Rios Colorado, Mexico, across the border to San Diego's spring training facility in nearby Yuma, Ariz. The goal was to get autographs from two of the Padres' brightest young stars, Santiago and Roberto Alomar.

"We got them, and I got pictures of myself with Benito, too. I was his biggest fan," Cota said, glancing toward Santiago's vacant locker to make sure he was not within earshot. "He doesn't know it right now, but I'm going to show him sometime during the season. I have all kinds of pictures of him. A little plastic helmet with his number, too. It's pretty cool. That's why, when I heard we got him, the first thing I did was call my dad in Mexico to tell him how excited I was."

Today, Cota is three weeks removed from his 26th birthday. Santiago will turn 40 in two months. One will enter his first full season in the major leagues, the other his 20th. And they are teammates.

Chance encounter

If not for the Pirates' Nov. 25 trade of Jason Kendall, a fixture behind the plate for nine years, Cota and Santiago would not have had the chance to meet formally Wednesday morning at the opening of the team's minicamp.

As it is, those two will try to combine to replace what was lost in Kendall, who led all major-league catchers in games at 146, on-base percentage at .399, runs at 86 and hits at 183. He also turned in his finest defensive season, throwing out 41 percent of runners trying to steal while committing only 10 errors and two passed balls.

"It's not going to be easy," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Fact is, the more Jason played, the better he played. He had an outstanding year."

Kendall's departure left the Pirates with the stark realization that the only catcher in their system close to the major-league level was Cota, who had spent parts of the previous four years in Pittsburgh but never more than 36 games in a season. J.R. House, the only other catcher with major-league experience, has six games on his resume and still needs plenty of work on his throwing. He has one option left, and the plan is to send him to Class AAA.

Cota was vacationing at a ranch near his home and did not hear about the Kendall trade until two weeks ago. By then, the Pirates already had acquired Santiago from Kansas City Dec. 16.

"I heard about everything all at once, so I never thought about being the starter," he said. "But you know what? I still had a different mind-set even before that. I wanted to be really ready for the major leagues, to show I could do it."

Cota did not provide much evidence that such was the case last season. Appearing in 36 games last season, he hit .227 with one double, a triple, five home runs and eight RBIs in 66 at-bats. He walked only three times and struck out 20 times.

Homering once every 13 plate appearances -- including two of the deepest shots at PNC Park last season -- while playing typically solid defense boosted his cause, but Cota aimed for significant improvement. To that end, he bypassed playing in the Mexican winter league for the first time in his career and gave his knees and arm a rest.

"That made such a big difference. I was so tired of being worn down every time I came into camp, not being at my best. Right now, I feel great."

The initial plan is to have Santiago catch 100 games, but also to work Cota into the lineup and see if he can earn a greater share.

"We believe Humberto has a bright future," general manager Dave Littlefield said. "What we weren't prepared to do was to just throw him out there for 140 games. We wanted to make sure that he had someone to help him break in, and I think we've done that with Santiago. How Humberto does from here on is up to him."

"It's unfortunate Humberto hasn't played more," McClendon said. "But his playing time certainly will increase this season, and you'll start to see him progressing at a much faster rate."

Cota is adamant that he is delighted to remain an understudy.

"If this trade had happened in 2001, things might have been different," he said, referring to when he was named the Pirates' minor-league player of the year. "But I understand what's happening. I've had my friends tell me, 'Hey, what's going on? You were waiting four years, and now they bring in Benito.' Hey, that's OK. I'll take advantage of that guy. I wish I could do everything he's done."

Second chance

Santiago endeared himself not only to Cota but also the Pirates' brass by being that rare veteran who reports to the voluntary minicamp. Kendall did not attend any of the team's first four camps.

"I think it says an awful lot about Benito's dedication," McClendon said. "He wanted to come here just to get to know his new teammates and see some of the pitchers he'll be handling."

Santiago is a former National League rookie of the year, a three-time winner of the Gold Glove and only three years removed from his fifth All-Star Game. Although his defensive skills are not what they were in his prime -- he threw out only 22.2 percent of runners trying to steal last season -- his offense has remained steady. He hit .274 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 173 at-bats.

One trait that clearly has not diminished in the slightest is his confidence.

That comes across most pointedly when he talks about looking forward to handling the Pirates' young pitching staff.

"They're young, they've got good stuff, some promise, and they're looking for somebody who can straighten that out. That's me," he said. "I've been doing it for a long time. Now, it's Pittsburgh's time. It is a different challenge but ... you know what? It's lovely. I've been doing this for a little while and, everywhere I go, the pitchers get better. That's why I remain in the game."

He said his approach with pitchers will be a direct one.

"You've just got to know how to communicate with them. That's No. 1. No. 2, you've got to know what they bring to the house. No. 3 is to pass all of my knowledge to them. After that, it's up to them."

Of the offense he might bring, he was no less bold.

"I feel pretty young. I've got a lot of surprises for the people of Pittsburgh."

Santiago is aware that the Pirates want to see Cota improve and eventually become the starter, but he does not seem to have trouble with the mentor role.

"Already, you can see, we talk, we go over things. It's fun. It's going to be fun. It's going to be OK. I'm looking forward to it."

McClendon has been heartened by the relationship Cota and Santiago appear to be forging.

"I think having Benito around here is going to be a very positive experience for Cota," McClendon said. "It seems like they're already hitting it off. Cota can learn a lot, and Benito seems very willing to teach him."

But McClendon's satisfaction does not approach Cota's, not just for the opportunity to work with an idol but also the long-awaited shot at being a starter.

"It's a huge responsibility, taking the place of someone like Kendall," Cota said. "But the only thing I can control is, when I get a chance, to prove to everyone that I can do it. If that means playing every day, that's fine. If not, that's fine, too. I'm here to learn from Benito. He's one of the greatest catchers ever. For me to have Kendall in front of me, then Benito ... I'm very fortunate."