A lot of people have different opinions on what the Pirates’ shortstop situation. There was controversy before the season, during the season, and now. The Pirates went into the off-season following the 2010 season looking for a shortstop upgrade after a very inconsistent campaign by Ronny Cedeno. The team drafted shortstop Josh Rodriguez as the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, but he only had 12 at bats before he was gone. Fans were disappointed when the team missed opportunities to acquire players like J.J. Hardy and Jason Bartlett, and instead stuck with Cedeno. Bartlett’s season did not meet expectations, but Hardy played far above expectations. He hit 30 HR’s, something that would have been great for the Pirates this year. However, it is far from guaranteed that he would have had the same success with the Pirates. Cedeno, on the other hand, saw a slight drop off in offensive production, but he played above average defense all year, and stayed consistent for the most part. He is probably a little worse than a league average shortstop, but that is acceptable for a 90 loss team.
When Cedeno went down with an injury in early July, rookie Chase D’arnaud took over as the everyday shortstop. He played terribly, but if someone would’ve said that D’arnaud would be in the majors this year after his performance in AA during the 2010 season, they would have been laughed at. But because of his play for the Pirates this year, he should start 2012 in AAA. He wasn’t major league ready in 2011, so he will have to work on many aspects of his game. In the minors, he was a decent fielder, but that changed when he reached the majors. He saw his career minor league fielding percentage at short of .957 drop to .936 in the majors. He also hit very poorly, with a .217 average and .528 OPS. Clearly, he wasn’t ready to be in a Pirates uniform. Brandon Wood and Pedro Ciriaco both contributed at shortstop, but Wood will most likely be non-tendered and Ciriaco is at best a utility player.
In the current free agent market, there are multiple options that the Pirates could look at. I found ten names that the front office may consider, and I have put that into five different groups, including players that : have slightly better production than Cedeno, have contract options but are slight upgrades, are big offensive upgrades, aren’t going to happen, and the Jack Wilson group.
Slightly Better Production Than Cedeno
This group consists of Clint Barmes, Edgar Renteria, and Jamey Carrol. All three of these players have the ability to be an offensive upgrade to Cedeno, but they haven’t had great numbers. Each player had an OPS higher than Cedeno, with Barmes and Carrol hovering around .700 in 2011, while Renteria had similar production to Cedeno. The Pirates will only consider players that are they consider definite upgrades to Cedeno and that are affordable, so that pretty much puts Renteria out of the picture. Barmes would give the Pirates a power upgrade with similar defense, and Carrol would give the team a guy that knows how to get on base. Barmes is a decent option and probably the most likely in this group because the Dodgers may want to keep Carrol, at least as a bench option.
Players With Contract Options
This group consists of Yuniesky Betancourt and Rafael Furcal. Betancourt has a $6 M option, and Furcal has a $12 M option, both being club options. It is hard to imagine either the Brewers or the Cardinals exercising these options, but I believe the Brewers may try to sign Betancourt at a lower price. That leaves Furcal, and he would not be a good sign for the Pirates. His offensive numbers aren’t much better than Cedeno’s, and his defense is much worse. It does not seem likely that either of these players will end up in a Pirates uniform.
Big Offensive Upgrades
Alex Gonzalez and Marco Scutaro make up this group. Gonzalez would provide a big power boost at the shortstop position, along with decent defense. Scutaro had a very good offensive year in 2011, hitting .299 with an .781 OPS, which are both above his career averages. At 35, it is unlikely he would reproduce these numbers. That could be leverage for the Pirates, but unfortunately the Red Sox have a $6 M club option on him, and unless they are able to sign Jose Reyes, they will most likely exercise that option. Gonzalez would be a nice player to have, but the market for above average shortstops is usually competitive.
Not Happening
This group is Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins. Reyes had an amazing year, and Rollins has already expressed interest in resigning with the Phillies, so don’t get your hopes up. Reyes will either resign with the Mets or go to a big market team, so the Pirates really have no chance at either of these players.
Jack Wilson Group
This group is made up of only Jack Wilson, and I only included it because I couldn’t resist. I don’t believe there is any chance we will see Wilson in a Pirates uniform again, but it’s still a nice thought. He is terrible offensively and similar to Cedeno defensively, and the Pirates have too many internal options to consider Wilson for a bench spot. Sorry, but Jack Wilson’s days with the Pirates will continue to be no more.
There could be many teams looking for a shortstop, so that may make any free agent signing difficult. The most likely options for the Pirates to consider are Barmes, Carrol, Gonzalez, and Scutaro. I believe the best option out of this group would be Alex Gonzalez because he could provide a big power boost, along with good defense at short. He would definitely be affordable, so the Pirates should go after him and make a competitive offer.
Even if the Pirates don’t find an external option at short, they still have Cedeno to start. He is a decent option with good defense, and that would be a good fit for a pitch-to-contact pitching staff. Pedro Ciriaco is out of options, so there is a good chance he will be on the team next year, probably as a bench player. They also have Chase D’arnaud, Jordy Mercer, and Brock Holt as options, and all three should start in AAA. It would be nice to see Mercer up sometime, as he has power and is a good shortstop defensively. Mercer could be a player similar to Alex Gonzalez, so it would be nice if the Pirates could sign him to mentor Mercer.
There have been many calls for the Pirates to replace Cedeno at shortstop, and they will have another chance this offseason. There are multiple free agents, but Alex Gonzalez would be the best option. If the Pirates don’t exercise Cedeno’s $3 M option, they will definitely make a competitive offer to a free agent, most likely as one to two year deal. They have internal options, but no one seems ready to take over as a full time starter, so a player like Gonzalez would be a big help for the team.
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