Pittsburgh Pirates: Players You Likely Forgot From 2013

Infielder John McDonald

Entering spring training 2013, Clint Barmes was entrenched as the team’s starting shortstop. However, fast rising middle infield prospect Jordy Mercer was breathing down the neck of the light hitting Barmes. Looking for middle infield depth that would allow Mercer to play every day at Triple-A to start the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded for veteran infielder John McDonald in late March.

To the angst of many fans, McDonald made the Opening Day roster over Mercer. With the Pirates, McDonald hit for a miserable .065/.171/.097 slash line in 35 plate appearances. He went on the disabled list with back strain in early May, which opened the door for an extended role for Mercer who returned to the Major Leagues a week earlier.

As Mercer hit well at the MLB level, people could see that McDonald’s days in Pittsburgh were numbered. These days came to an end on June 10 when he was traded to Cleveland Indians. Later that summer, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies who traded him to the eventual World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

McDonald was not liked at all by Pirate fans. This was made very clear on message boards and Twitter. Due to this, and his horrendous offensive performance, many people have probably forgotten that he played for the Pirates in 2013.

Reliever Jose Contreras

During the 2013 campaign the Pittsburgh Pirates had one of the best bullpens in all of baseball. Prior to the start of the season, they signed right-handed veteran reliever Jose Contreras expecting him to be part of this bullpen.

The one time starter, became a full time reliever in 2010 when he posted a 3.34 ERA and a 3.27 FIP in 67 games for the Phillies. However, due to injury, Contreras was limited to just 17 games in both 2011 and 2012.

The injury bug would bite Contreras again in 2013. After starting the season on the DL, Contreras made his Pirate debut with a scoreless inning of relief against the Washington Nationals on May 5. After this outing, the wheels came off for Contreras. He would pitch just six more games for the Pirates, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, six walks, a home run, and five strikeouts in 4 innings of work. It goes without saying that Contreras would not become a key cog in the Pirates’ historically good 2013 bullpen.

After struggling Contreras was released by the Pirates on June 13. On June 17, the Bucs re-signed the veteran righty. However, on July 18 he was released for good. Despite signing a minor league contract with the Red Sox the following day, he would never pitch in the MLB again.

Utility Player Brandon Inge

Good clubhouse guys are vital to any team in baseball. Without a healthy clubhouse atmosphere and chemistry, winning becomes more difficult. A great clubhouse culture and atmosphere was a stable of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the off-season, the team added veteran utility man Brandon Inge to a minor league contract. The former All-Star could play all over the field, had flashed power at times in his career and was known as a great clubhouse influence.

That said, being a great clubhouse influence only goes so far. A player still needs to produce on the field. This was something that Inge failed to do.

Inge, like Contreras, started the season on the DL. After being recalled to the Majors on April 23, he went on to accumulate 110 plate appearances for the Pirates in 51 games. In these 110 PAs, he slashed .181/.204/.238 with a wRC+ of 20, an .057 ISO, and he hit just one home run. While he provided strong defense at third base and first base, this was not enough to overcome his offensive shortcomings.

In July 23, Inge was designated for assignment by the Pirates. This was a move that would prove to end his MLB career. Again, like Contreras, Inge would never again suit up in a MLB game. But of the three players on this list, due to his clubhouse contributions, Inge was the one who provided the most to the 2013 Pirates.