This will come as a surprise to many people, but Rod Barajas won’t be a Dodger next year. The veteran catcher has signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, leaving the Dodger backstopping (until Ned Colletti wakes up in a veteran-less sweat) to A.J. Ellis and Tim Federowicz.

Previously … Remembering 2011: Rod Barajas

Update: Via Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness comes two tidbits: Barajas is getting $4 million in 2012 according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the latest indication that this is going to be a players’ free-agent market, and the Dodgers will receive a compensation draft pick, as noted by the True Blue L.A. crew.

For the curious, here’s a list of free-agent catchers, via ESPN.com’s MLB free-agent tracker.