If there’s one thing Pittsburgh Pirates fan love, it’s debating the team’s move during the off-season.
The signing of John Jaso and acquisition of Yoervis Medina gave fans plenty of chances to do so.
We here at the Pittsburgh Sporting News are no exception. Fellow Pirates contributor Jose Negron and I went back and forth via email on a few key hot stove topics, and that exchange is recounted for you here.
On the First Base position…
JASON: Jose, it seems as if the Pirates have addressed one of their most glaring needs – a left-handed bat at 1B to complement right-handed hitter Michael Morse.
The signing of John Jaso to a two-year deal is one designed to provide answers, but for me it raises more questions. Suddenly a dubious position on the field sees a few different option. In addition to Jaso and Morse, recently acquired Jason Rogers is in tow, and of course Josh Bell looms large over all of them.
Who sees the bulk of the playing time? Is it strictly a platoon at 1B? With this new investment in the position, is Bell’s time table changed?
While I superficially like the Jaso signing, it seems that the Pirates have raised questions instead of striking them down. What’s your take on how 1B plays out?
JOSE: The signing spurred some questions for me, as well. The fact that Jaso has only played two games at first base throughout his major league career is a huge issue for me. We’ve talked about Mitch Moreland and Kelly Johnson as options the Pirates could inquire about, but the Jaso signing caught a lot of people off guard.
He does have good offensive ability and can play catcher and in the outfield, which gives the Pirates more versatility. The main question surrounds his ability to play the first base position at a high level defensively. I believe that Jaso will platoon with Morse and that Jason Rogers may serve as a good bench option. I also still believe that we may see Josh Bell at some point this upcoming season, so he could also shake up the first base discussion in 2016, as well.
On a player to watch in 2016…
JOSE: As you know, despite the recent lack of acquisitions this off-season, the Pirates still have a very good roster filled with talent.
But if you had to pick one player to watch, who would you choose? For me, that player is Jung Ho Kang. with a keen eye on his ability to come back from his torn meniscus and broken tibia. Kang suffered the injury this past September on a Chris Coghlan take out slide at second base in a game against the Chicago Cubs. Kang missed the remainder of the season and missed the Pirates Wild Card game loss to those same Cubs.
Despite missing time last season, Kang transitioned from the Korean Baseball Organization to the major leagues with ease. In his rookie season last year, Kang hit .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. He also went on to finish third in National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Matt Duffy of the San Francisco Giants and Kris Bryant of the Cubs. Though Kang has showed progress in his rehabilitation, it is unknown whether he will be available at the beginning of the regular season. However, I’m very interested in seeing how he comes back from this injury and if he can avoid the “sophomore slump” and put up another big season for the Pirates.
Now Jason, who is on your radar for the upcoming 2016 season?
JASON: For me, it’s Josh Harrison. And it’s not even close. Harrison will be going into 2016 having rediscovered himself in September of last season. During that month, Harrison slashed .326/.374./.446 in 30 games. It was a very encouraging sign for a player who many thought would regress after a breakout 2014. The fact is, Harrison did regress, but the regression was not as sharp as many predicted.
Now, Harrison will be counted on to man second base regularly. Harrison has appeared in 99 career games at the position, so it won’t be new to him (is any position new to Jhay?). At the plate, Harrison could be counted on in a variety of ways. Although Starling Marte had great production in the number two spot, Clint Hurdle may tempted to use him lower in the order behind Andrew McCutchen. Should that happen, Harrison would be ideal for that spot. Harrison doesn’t walk much, but he does not strike out either. For Harrison to guard against another backslide, I feel that a spike in his walk rate would be necessary. I’m very interested in watching him at the plate this year.
On the organization’s approach to winning…
JASON: If you would ask anyone if the Pirates were committed to winning before this off-season, I believe the answer by most would be a resounding yes.
Now, is it fair to ask otherwise?
Consider this: Many believe that if the pirates were truly committed to extending this current window, they would have kept Neil Walker, Charlie Morton and (possibly) Mark Melancon around for another year, keeping the entire core intact for at least one more year.
I get the fact that a major league general manager must always juggle both present and future. But is it fair to ask if previous years of hoarding prospects has forced the team into seeing 2016 as a “bridge year?”
JOSE: I’m very torn on the specific subject of the front office and their commitment to winning.
In the past few years, the Pirates have never made the most flashy moves in the off-season or at the trade deadline, but somehow most moves have worked out. For examples, one can look to J.A. Happ, Francisco Cervelli and Kang. Even the decision to bring back an aging A.J. Burnett worked.
These moves have caused me to have faith in the organization. However, this off-season hasn’t looked very good on paper. There are still voids to fill and the signing of Ryan Vogelsong, a 38-year-old pitcher coming off of a season in which he went 9-11 with a 4.67 ERA, really had me scratching my head. As we’ve said before, it’s okay to question moves and still have a bit of faith that the front office may know something that the rest of us don’t know.
Crazy things happen in the game of baseball and the Pittsburgh Pirates may just surprise us all in 2016.
That brings us to an end for this edition of Pittsburgh Pirates point/counterpoint. We want to hear from you. In your view, what is the hottest topic surrounding the 2016 team? Let us know in the comments below.
