Pirates Sign John Jaso

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has reported the Pirates have signed John Jaso to a 2 year $8 million dollar deal. Last year, Jaso struggled with injuries, appearing in only 70 games with Tampa Bay. When healthy, Jaso played well, hitting .286 with 5 HR’s and 22 RBI. Jaso’s real value comes with his plate vision, as his BB/K ratio is extremely high. Looking at Jaso now, he will likely be the platoon with Michael Morse, as well as a contributor to the corner outfield and catcher positions.

This signing is wholly puzzling, however. For the Pirates, it makes some sense in offensive terms, though, Jaso has only logged five innings at first base. One can only hope he can adjust quickly to first base, as anything better than Pedro Alvarez’s glove would be a drastic improvement. This signing basically solidifies Josh Bell starting the year in Indianapolis, though it was extremely unlikely he was going to make the team anyway.

Questions aside, there is potential for this signing to be great. In association to the acquisitions of Sean Rodriguez and Jason Rogers, this trade builds on the depth of the major league club, which as most of us know has been a weakness for this team over the last couple of years. The platoon potential of Morse/Jaso could be a productive commodity if both return to form. Much like everything else with this team, though, that is a giant question mark in December 2015.