Pittsburgh Pirates
After three straight trips to the Wild Card game, but only one trip to the NLDS, the Pirates need to figure something out. They are stuck in a division with two of the best teams in baseball in the Chicago Cubs and the Cardinals. Pittsburgh has mostly played it safe in the free agent market during their emergence as a contender, but after another one-and-done trip to the playoffs, management may feel compelled to get a little more aggressive in adding to the roster.
At first base, the Pirates currently have Pedro Alvarez. El Toro is an abysmal fielder who made 23 errors at first base this season. His bat does not justify giving him over 900 innings in the field. If Alvarez hit .275 with 45 home runs, then his defensive foibles could be overlooked. At .240 and 25 home runs, Alvarez is just a liability. The Pirates lineup could use an additional big slugger to complement Andrew McCutchen who does not have much protection. The Pirates will still have a powerful rotation intact next year. An addition of a hitter like Davis could be enough to push them over the top and past the Cardinals and Cubs.
Leave a Reply