News Roundup: Steve Pearce at First?

by Charlie on May 19, 2009 2:43 PM EDT Comment 20 comments

-P- Dejan Kovacevic guesses that Steve Pearce will be the Pirates' first baseman next season. I think pigs will fly before Pearce gets 500 at bats in a season with the Bucs. They've had plenty of opportunities to find a position and some playing time for Pearce, and they've gone out of their way to avoid doing those things. If Adam LaRoche is traded in the next couple months, Pearce will probably be recalled, but even then I'd bet on him splitting time with Eric Hinske. He'll have to hit like crazy to become part of the picture in 2010.

That means the 2010 first baseman will probably be an outside hire. Here's the list of next offseason's free agents. Signing Nick Johnson to a lucrative short-term deal might be an interesting gamble; if he stays healthy, he'll hit, and if he does he could easily be turned into prospects later.

-P- Speaking of first base, Pedro Alvarez has hit .282 with three homers in his past ten games.

-P- With the recent departures of Romulo Sanchez, Dave Davidson and Jimmy Barthmaier from the 40-man roster, it's finally reaching the point where there aren't ten complete wastes of time clogging up the roster anymore. My guess is that the next to go next time the Pirates need a pitcher is Luis Cruz, who's hitting .242/.266/.319 at Indianapolis. I think the Bucs would probably be able to sneak him through waivers, too. If major league teams had 30-man rosters, he'd be a good addition purely as a defensive substitute, but a major league bench player has to be able to hit at least a little.

-P- Jason Kendall grabbed his 2,000th hit last night. It was a single (of course) up the middle.

-P- You think the Pirates' 12-24 Altoona team is bad? Ken Rosenthal quotes a scout saying that the Nationals' Class AA team in Harrisburg is "the worst Class AA team maybe in the history of baseball." Dave Williams is on that team. Rosenthal also quotes another scout describing the Giants' Pablo Sandoval as "Randall Simon with more ability."

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Rosenthal also jokes that Simon is listed at 6-0 180 lbs. The only way Im 10 pounds heavier than Randall Simon is if I’m on Neptune

McLouth is The Trouth

by GTrain on May 19, 2009 2:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I don’t think there was a single day in Randall’s career when he was anywhere near 180.

by Charlie on May 19, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Randall

has a leg that weighs 180, fer chrissakes…

I'd rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" at forty-five. -- M. Jagger

by cocktailsfor2 on May 19, 2009 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another positive note about Altoona is how difficult their schedule has been. Before their recent sweep of Harrisburg, they haven’t played anyone other than Erie, Reading, and Akron. Erie and Akron have the best two records in the league, and Reading isn’t too far behind. The schedule lightens up substantially from this point out, so hopefully we’ll see some improvement.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on May 19, 2009 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Also today

Brent Lillibridge was sent back down. I remember some here bemoaning the fact that we lost him.

by Hitman Easler on May 19, 2009 3:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

DK on Steve Pearce

What’s interesting is that DK doesn’t hedge or equivocate. Here’s the entire Q & A:

Andy_Van_Slyke: Who do you think will be the Pirates 1st baseman next season?

Dejan Kovacevic: Steve Pearce.

This implies to me that DK knows something. If so, that’d be a big change — Huntington has treated Pearce like a red haired stepchild since he got to Pittsburgh.

I hope the kid gets a real chance soon.

Based on his 1/4 year stats at Indianapolis (2nd time around, I know), Pearce is looking at a 25 HR, 100 RBI season. His OPS is about .840, and he’s cut his K’s way way way down. In 130 AB’s he has as many BB as K’s — 19.

That’s about 1 K per 7 AB. Before this season his lifetime minor league average is 1 K per 5.7 AB’s, and his ML record is 1 K/5 AB’s.

This year Big Poison LaRoche is 1 K/3.6 AB’s, and this isn’t just a spring thing — lifetime he’s 1 K/4.2 AB’s. His lifetime OPS is .828. (For comparison, Adam Dunn’s lifetime strikeout rate is 1K/3AB’s but his lifetime OPS is still .903.)

A couple of you guys have been to Indianapolis this year. I know Pearce got off to a miserable start, but how has he looked?

by WstCstBucco on May 19, 2009 4:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I live in Indiana

I attend Indians games regularly, and my blog usually posts a recap afterwards (link in signature), and I have to say this about Steve Pearce: he continually looks clueless at the plate. He has no discipline at all. He swings at just about everything, including breaking balls in the dirt. I’m amazed he hasn’t struck out more times than he has this year. I’m equally amazed he’s walked 19 times.

If I were to say he reminds me of anyone, it would be Brad Eldred. When he hits the ball, he hits it well and with authority, but he swings at too much junk and rarely hits it.

www.sixtyftsixin.com

by Sixty Feet, Six Inches on May 19, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh and Double Ugh

Thanks for the eyes-on analysis, 60’ 6" Your insight is exactly what I was hoping for.

Can’t understand why Pearce is just not improving his approach, but I’m ready to jump off this bandwagon. 1B may continue to be a nightmare until Pedro Alvarez is ready for the show.

Guess I can move on now to my new “bench Morgan, and start Delwyn Young” bandwagon. :)

by WstCstBucco on May 19, 2009 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Breaking balls, er, magic, curving balls

In their swing through Rochester, I was surprised Pearce saw so few breaking pitches. He fouled a few off, but always beating them straight down. He’s still lunging and swinging right over them. In MLB, I think he’d still get a steady diet of breaking stuff, and will still struggle.

My wild in-house guess for 2009 1B is Brandon Moss, esp. if Nyjer stays above water.

by azibuck on May 19, 2009 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't agree with Charlie unless:

We were able to sign Johnson for considerably less money than LaRoche will be asking because Johnson is one year older, has a history of injuries, and according to Baseball Prospectus, will not produce nearly as well as LaRoche. The only way I can see us signing him is if we dump LaRoche and don’t get a replacement; and if we give Pearce an opportunity this year and fails to produce; and if Johnson is much cheaper. In other words, three things would all have to happen before we should sign Johnson.

by Illinois Pirate Fan on May 19, 2009 5:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What are you talking about re: BP? PECOTA projects Johnson to be significantly better both this year and going forward. Are you referring to a specific article?

The issue with Johnson, obviously, is his health. If he’s healthy, he’ll probably hit a bunch. Anyway, it’s not really just about replacing LaRoche, it’s about replacing LaRoche AND potentially getting some long-term value down the line, either by trading Johnson for prospects or collecting draft picks.

It’s quite possible that, after five years in Montreal and Washington, Johnson will want to avoid any team that even MIGHT not be a contender, but I think he could be the right mixture of upside and affordability for a team in the Pirates’ position.

by Charlie on May 19, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are we talking about the same PECOTA?

Johnson .267 14 Hrs 53 RBIs; .410 OBP; .472 SLG; 24.2 VORP

LaRoche .271 22 Hrs 75 RBIs; .354 OBP; .489 SLG; 22.9 VORP

by Illinois Pirate Fan on May 19, 2009 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah. PECOTA has Johnson being half a win to a win better than LaRoche this season. Where do you get “will not produce nearly as well as LaRoche”?

by Charlie on May 19, 2009 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

signing Jimmy Anderson was real 'gutsy' move

(pun intended)

but seriously, Anderson is trying to come back from an injury, and I wish him good health.

by humbucker on May 19, 2009 6:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What was the injury?

Did a fork miss his mouth for the first time in his life and embed itself in his head?

by bucdaddy on May 20, 2009 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Congrats to the Kid

2,000 is a real accomplishment. I always thought that he might of hit 3,000 in a Bucs uniform. He was a gutsy guy who busted his ass everyday. His broken ankle injury a few years back is still one of the most gruesome I’ve ever seen.

by Ketcham Bruce on May 19, 2009 6:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It wasn't broken.

Which, if anything, makes it even more gruesome.

by Vlad on May 20, 2009 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was still

one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen.

A buddy & I had just gotten off a golf course in San Diego and went into the 19th hole just in time to see it come up on the teevee. I almost puked. Literally.

I also still think he got dicked over for ROY in favor of Hollandsworth.

But I’m not bitter or anything.

I'd rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" at forty-five. -- M. Jagger

by cocktailsfor2 on May 20, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, unquestionably.

Anyone can break an ankle. But how many people dislocate an ankle badly enough that the totally intact bone jams all the way through the skin without breaking?

I’m disgusted thinking about it just now. It’s a miracle he could even walk without a limp, afterwards, much less play baseball.

by Vlad on May 20, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do like at least one guy on that Harrisburg team.

Marvin Lowrance. I think he ends up as a starting corner OF in the majors, though it may not be with Washington, who has a glut at the position right now.

I like the power, he’s fairly athletic, and he seems to be a hard worker.

by Vlad on May 20, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs