During the Pittsburgh Pirates 20-year losing streak, having too much talent at one position was one of the few problems the Bucs ever had to deal with.
However, a cluttered middle infield in the majors and upper minors could lead to that very problem.
But it’s a good problem to have.
Here is what we do know. Josh Harrison is entrenched at third base for the long term. In the off-season, the 27-year-old signed a four-year extension with the club, with team options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Jung Ho Kang also is in the first year of a four-year deal he signed over the winter and, although it has only been 92 at-bats, he is starting to look like the real deal. Assuming Kang is no fluke, he should be starting for the team’s middle infield for the next three seasons.
The team also has Jordy Mercer, who is off to another slow start this year but has shown he can be a capable shortstop in the majors. The team still has three arbitration years of control with him.
Neil Walker is in his last year of being arbitration eligible, and there has been no real progress that he will get a new deal. He’ll be 30 in September, and due for a raise of his $8 million salary, so it’s not a stretch to think the Pirates may want to trade him after this coming year, especially with the talent behind him. With Pedro Alvarez also in his last year of being arbitration eligible, the team could also trade him and move Walker to first.
Then there is Alen Hanson, the team’s top middle infield prospect and one who is generally considered among the top 100 prospects in baseball. The 22-year-old has the upside of a lead-off hitter that could be a threat on the base paths, but could also be used as a quality sixth or seventh hitter. He also has the raw defensive tools to stick at shortstop in the majors, though problems with errors have caused a move to second base. He’s having a nice year with the bat so far this year with a .285 average, though his power numbers are slightly down from his career averages. He’s also already had three errors in the field, though he’s never been known for stellar defense. Still, he should be a prime candidate for a promotion to the majors at some point this year, most likely in September.
So let’s say Kang is for real, Mercer does rebound and Walker moves out of the team’s middle infield, whether it is due to a position change or trade (yes, that is a lot of ifs, but they aren’t unreasonable ones). Then further muddling things is Max Moroff’s breakout season at second base in AA Altoona. He could be up by 2016 and gives the team another potential middle infield starter. So where does that leave Hanson?
The good news is the team doesn’t have to make a decision on Hanson right away. The Pirates could just keep Hanson in AAA until the September call-ups, allowing them to get a better look at Kang and Mercer and then figure out what to do with him over the winter.
At the very least, Hanson gives the team options and flexibility. He gives them a fall back option if Kang cools off or Mercer can’t rebound from his poor start. Hanson’s presence could also make the team more comfortable about moving on from Walker when his contract is up, as well as possibly dangling Mercer to other teams looking for a shortstop with major league experience. Hanson also allows the team to capitalize on Moroff’s hot start by turning him into a trade piece, though he likely wouldn’t fetch as much as Hanson. Or Hanson could be used as a trade chip – he has been in trade rumors before. He probably wouldn’t be the centerpiece of a deal for a Cole Hamels, but he could bring in another guy like Marlon Byrd.
Regardless, it’s nice to see the Pirates finally having too many talented players at one spot than not enough.
