Pittsburgh Pirates re-sign Sean Rodriguez

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

In a signing many fans saw coming due to the rumors swirling around his name for the past week, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Tuesday they have re-signed utility man Sean Rodriguez to a one year contract worth $2.5 million according to Jerry Crasnick and Rob Biertempfel:

With the departure of Neil Walker and injury to Jung-ho Kang, the Pirates infield depth had suddenly become depleted and Rodriguez’s versatility – he played every position but catcher and centerfield in 2015 – made him a valuable piece at that price. 

Make no mistake about it, the Pirates brought Sean Rodriguez back for his glove. He plays second and third base very well and is a capable fielder in the outfield or at first base. There isn’t much offense coming along with it however, as he has never hit higher than .251 and has only reached double digits home runs once in his career.

Even with minimal previous success at the plate, 2015 was a down year for Rodriguez in terms of walks and on-base percentage and strikeouts have always been a problem of his.

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FanGraphs predicts him to bat around .230, which is pretty bad, with an uptick in most power categories but if he can just get on base and not strike out as much, while playing good defense, the Pirates will be more than happy. 

This can’t be the solution to the first base problem, however, as Rodriguez is not an everyday caliber player and bats from the same side as Mike Morse, ruling out a platoon. I think the Pirates still have at least one more bat to acquire this offseason before they can feel comfortable with the lineup.