Pedro Alvarez has been struggling at the hot corner all season, producing a league-leading 24 errors, most coming from overthrows to first base. The frustrations have seemed to carry over to the offensive side where Alvarez is struggling with a .235/.402/.724 slash with 15 home runs, 45 RBI and 95 strikeouts. This has led to him being taken out of games or benched all together.
With Josh Harrison playing out of his mind at the moment — .303/.498/.840 slash line with a 7-game XBH streak — and playing solid defense at third, Harrison has taken Alvarez’s job. Manager Clint Hurdle told Bill Brink of the PG that Harrison has been solid at the position and is the guy for the job at the moment.
Hurdle, asked about plan at 3B: “Harrison is more than a viable option. He’s our best defender on the club right now at third base.”
— Bill Brink (@BrinkPG) August 3, 2014
What’s worse for Alvarez is the addition of Jayson Nix, who has spent most of his playing time at third base. Is this a move that simply is to help the bench? — Most likely not because Nix has a worse career batting average than Alvarez– or is it a defensive addition to allow Harrison to continue to make his rounds on defense?
Now, none of this means Alvarez would be gone from the team completely, but it means the plans of Alvarez that most thought would happen prior to his call-up in 2009 is occurring. Alvarez could be making his way across the diamond to first base. Is now a good time for the Pirates to make this large move in the second half of the season? It is something Rob Biertempfel of the Trib asked Hurdle Sunday.
#Pirates Alvarez status is in flux. Management is mulling moving him to 1b. Hurdle: “But, is that something you entertain in pennant race?”
— Rob Biertempfel (@BiertempfelTrib) August 3, 2014
Another option, as Biertempfel points out, would be to work on his defense outside of the Major League environment.
One possible Alvarez option: Ask him to accept stint in extended spring training in Bradenton to work on defense, maybe first base.
— Rob Biertempfel (@BiertempfelTrib) August 3, 2014
The problem to this at the moment, as Hurdle pointed out, is do you try to take on a project this large in the midst of a pennant race where the Pirates sit tied for the first wild card and 1 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central.
If you go all in on this and his play doesn’t improve with the switch, then you may lose out on the division and even a playoff spot. Although, if it works, it could help Alvarez get back on track not only defensively, but with his offensive numbers as well putting the team in good position to make a run for the division and solid seeding in the playoffs.
It’s a fine line the organization must walk with one of their biggest names.
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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
