2012 Roster Possibilities: Left Field

The three players in the Pirates’ outfield are already set going into 2012, and the starting left fielder will either be Alex Presley or Jose Tabata, with the other one playing right field.  The most likely scenario would be Alex Presley as the starter in left, where he played for almost all of last season.  He has the speed to cover the large amount of space in PNC Park’s left field, and has proven that he can handle the position.  
Offensively, Presley had a solid season in 2011.  His overall line was .298/.339/.465 with an .804 OPS, which is encouraging considering he was an unknown prospect coming into 2010.  He has only had two successful seasons as a professional, so his upside is still unknown.  If his performance is legitimate, he could be a .290-.300 hitter with an OPS in the low .800s.  If it isn’t legitimate, his upside could be that of a fourth outfielder.  I feel like he will ultimately end up as a .270-.280 hitter that has an OPS in the .700s, most likely playing for a below average team.  Fans in Pittsburgh love Presley, but I wouldn’t expect him to remain on the team past 2012 or 2013.  There is still a possibility that he will stay, but the Pirates’ top position prospect, Starling Marte, is expected to be called up sometime next season, and should be the everyday left fielder.  Presley could still remain a starter after Marte’s promotion if he has better production than Tabata, which is possible.  However, the Pirates may be more inclined to continue starting Tabata because he has the higher upside compared to Presley

There aren’t any free agents that I could envision the Pirates pursuing as a starter, so there should be no doubt that Presley will start.  Ryan Ludwick, who the Pirates acquired at the trading deadline, will be a free agent this offseason, and he won’t have a starting position in Pittsburgh.  This makes it very doubtful that he will return, and I have to say that his acquisition was pointless.  He wasn’t going to get everyday playing time once Presley and Tabata were both healthy, and he wasn’t even performing well for the Padres.  The trade just didn’t make much sense from the beginning, and should have never happened.  Also, the Pirates have Gorkys Hernandez as a bench option, as he is a tremendous defender, but has limited offensive upside.  He could possibly step in as a starter if Presley, Tabata, or McCutchen go down with an injury, but he is better fit as a fourth outfielder.

Presley will begin the 2012 campaign as the starting left fielder, but if and when Starling Marte is ready to be promoted, he will either be benched, moved to right field, or traded.  Marte could make a huge impact in the Pirates lineup, with great fielding and the ability to hit over .300 with 10-15 home run power.  He had the fourth most hits in all of minor league baseball in 2011, hitting for a .332 average and .870 OPS.  He will be the most anticipated call-up for the Pirates since Pedro Alvarez, but not as hyped.  Marte has to cut down on his strikeouts and try to take more walks, but he is a major threat at the top of the lineup with great speed and great hitting skills.  If he continues to hit well in the minors, I would expect to see him up by late June or early July, and immediately stepping in as the starting left fielder.