Ever since he overtook Akinori Iwamura as the starting second baseman in 2010, there has been no question on who will be penciled in at the number 4 position on the Pirates opening day roster. A fan favorite. The Real Deal. The Pittsburgh Kid. Neil Walker. Over the past three seasons, Walker has emerged as one of the best second baseman in the National League, both offensively and defensively. In 2012, Walker put up a WAR of 2.5, a career best, with a line of .280/.342/.426 and an OPS of .768. He also hit a career high 14 home runs, but saw his RBI production drop a little from 83 in 2011 to 69 in 2012. He was limited to 129 games in 2012, and his numbers were brought down after battling injuries throughout August and September, where he hit a combined .235/.280/.357 with 3 HR's, 14 RBI and an OPS of .637.
Walker's injuries in August and most of September gave an opportunity for Brock Holt to get everyday playing time at the major league level. After hitting .432 with a 1.013 OPS in 95 at bats in AAA, Holt was called up to help the major league team and found himself as the starting second baseman for the majority of September. In total at the major league level, Holt had a line of .292/.329/.354 with an OPS of .682. Holt has always dealt with a lack of power, and his calling card has always been a high average and a high on base percentage. Regardless, none of those will be present in 2013 for the Pirates as Holt was traded to the Red Sox in the Joel Hanrahan deal over the offseason.
Now for 2013:
Starter: Neil Walker
Walker should be the Pirates starting second baseman for at least a few more years. If his back holds up, Walker should have another solid season in 2013, with an average around .280-.290 with approximately 15 home runs. He will do this while playing great defense at second and being a clubhouse leader that can really ignite the fire in his teammates. With Walker, it is a pretty safe bet on what you're going to get production-wise, but the Pirates will still hope that Walker becomes the .300, 20 home run hitter that he has the outside chance of being.
Bench Options: John McDonald, Brandon Inge, Josh Harrison
The only player on this list that is guaranteed to be on the opening day roster is John McDonald, who was recently acquired from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash. The 38 year old McDonald is not an offensive threat in any way, with a career OPS of .608, but he is considered one of the best defensive middle infielders in the game, at least as a bench option. He plays mostly shortstop, but has also played second in his career. Brandon Inge will have a roster spot, but at this point it remains to be seen if he will start on the DL or not after being hit by a pitch recently. Inge used to be an average to slightly above average power hitter, but that attribute is long gone. All he can really bring now is some veteran leadership and some versatility in the infield. But, he has only appeared in six games at second, but all six came in 2012. Josh Harrison could start the year on the 25 man roster if Inge starts on the DL, but should find himself in AAA when Inge returns. Harrison has the most offensive upside of these players and can play decent defense at second, third, and short. Personally, I would rather see Harrison than Inge, but that seems unlikely.
Minor League Players We Could See This Year: Ivan De Jesus Jr., Jordy Mercer, Chase D'arnaud
I could see either De Jesus Jr. or Mercer taking over every second base duties if Neil Walker goes down with an extended injury. De Jesus was acquired in the Hanrahan deal from Boston, and is a similar player to Brock Holt. He puts up a good average and gets on base at a good rate, but doesn't hit for much power. He is now labeled a second baseman after a lengthy leg injury in 2009, but still has the ability to play shortstop, and has displayed good defensive instincts in the past. Mercer is mainly a shortstop, but plays average defense at second. His bat plays well at both second and short, with above average power for a middle infielder. D'arnaud was viewed as one of the top prospects in the system prior to 2010, but has struggled offensively since then, especially when he got a chance at the major league level in 2011 (.528 OPS in 143 AB's).
The only real question facing the Pirates' second base situation is: How long will Neil Walker be in Pittsburgh? A possible extension for Walker has been a hot topic since Jose Tabata received his extension back in 2011. Walker definitely seems willing to spend his entire career in Pittsburgh, but not much progress has been made on an extension over the past year. This could be because the front office is waiting to see if Walker's 2012 back injury lingers into 2013. If it has no effect on his play, then we could an extension for Walker in the near future that could keep the Pittsburgh Kid in a buccos uniform for a long time.
Any questions or comments can be sent to me on twitter @mikemaw45 or in the comment section below.
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