Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Pirates catcher David Ross tags out the Giants' Pedro Feliz in the eighth inning last night. Click photo for larger image.

The Pirates have a roster move to make today or in the immediate future and their decision will speak clearly toward the direction in which the team is moving.

Veteran catcher Benito Santiago is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list today. That will leave the Pirates with three catchers -- Santiago, 40, Humberto Cota, 26, and David Ross, 28. Manager Lloyd McClendon said before the Pirates lost, 3-2, last night to the San Francisco Giants that he did not want to keep three catchers. The decision is general manager Dave Littlefield's, but he could hardly disagree. In this era of 12-man pitching staffs, a third catcher is a luxury most teams can't afford. It's one the Pirates, who already are, inexplicably, carrying light-hitting infielder Alfredo Amezaga certainly can't afford.

Santiago is a decorated veteran who is seventh on the all-time list of games played by a catcher. By the end of the season, he could be fourth. He has been selected for five All-Star games. He has played in one World Series. He batted .274 with six home runs with Kansas City last year but did not play after June 18 when his left hand was broken. He was brought in to be a veteran presence who would help the pitching staff and be a mentor to Cota. His salary is $2.14 million. Kansas City is paying $1 million of that amount.

Cota was the backup to Jason Kendall last year but played sparingly and batted .227. He did show surprising power with five home runs in 66 at-bats. His 121 major-league at-bats are 6,830 fewer than Santiago has. In somewhat of a surprise last night, McClendon said Cota was his No. 1 catcher. That designation previously belonged to Santiago. His salary is $327,000.

Ross, who started last night, had 337 major-league at-bats. In 70 games with Los Angeles last season, he batted .170. He has shown some power potential. He hit 10 home runs with the Dodgers in 2003 in only 124 at-bats. His three home runs this season in 38 at-bats were tops on the Pirates. Of the three, he's the only one with an option remaining, which means he can be returned to the minors without having to pass through waivers. His salary is $338,500.

Based on the above, the decision would not appear to be difficult. Ross is the obvious choice to go. Not only does he have an option remaining, but his resume is the least impressive.

But the easy answer is not always the best answer.

The best answer is the hardest decision. The best answer is for the Pirates to release Santiago. It would take guts to release such an established player and eat the $1 million the team owes him. But it would be the best for the franchise, not only from a baseball standpoint but also from a public relations standpoint.

The Pirates, who have been deservedly taking a beating from fans and media, would show by such a move that they are willing to spend money if it's the right thing to do.

Not that it would be that much money. Santiago gets his $1 million from the Pirates whether he's with the team or not. If he's released, the only added expense would be the salary Ross (or Cota) has for the remainder of the season. That figure would be less than $300,000, a pittance even for the Pirates.

The Pirates are going nowhere this season. It's time to develop Cota and Ross, who can be part of the team's future, not spend a season playing Santiago, who is not a part of that future.

That's true although neither Cota nor Ross figure to be the team's starting catcher of the future. That designation belongs to Ryan Doumit, a switch-hitter who is off to an outstanding start in Class AAA. But even if that's the case, the Pirates need to find out about Cota and Ross, both right-handed hitters. One could work some kind of platoon with Doumit, who is reputed to be a better hitter from the left side.

If the Pirates send Ross back to the minors, he'll be lost to them. He'll mostly sit the bench behind Doumit at Indianapolis and will get no opportunity to show the Pirates whether he deserves to be part of their future.

If he's kept on the major-league level, he and Cota can share the job. By the end of the season the Pirates will know which of the two is the better, which of the two will work best with Doumit.

There's more to this than just getting a look at Ross and Cota. There have been signs of major defensive slippage with Santiago. He hasn't played all that much, but he looks nowhere near the catcher who once was considered defensively excellent. He's listed as being 40, but could be older.

It's possible, but hardly definite, that the Pirates could win more games with Santiago. But the goal is to some day have a good team. Toward that end, the Pirates would do best to go with youth and say goodbye to Santiago.