Have the Pittsburgh Pirates Seen Enough To Bring Back Freese?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have built a well-performing, versatile bench.

In 2014, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a stretch of games in which Jayson Nix, Michael Martinez and Brent Morel were prominently involved. In a season in which the Pirates had to scratch 88 wins together to make the post-season, they put their playoff lives in the hands of career journeymen.

It was that experience that prompted General Manager Neal Huntington to make the bench a priority in 2015. That group was an improvement over the previous one, but still lacked the impact that is often needed during a grueling 162 game MLB season.

In 2016, the Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the deepest benches in all of baseball. Theirs is a flexible bunch, and each of the key reserves can be counted on to start for long stretches if need be.

But, there is one reserve/part-time player that the Pittsburgh Pirates should give serious thought to keeping around

Surprising Versatility and Offense to Boot

David Freese was signed at an incredible $3 million salary for 2016, and began the year starting at third base. Tagging in for Jung Ho Kang, Freese powered out of the gate to a .293/.387/.402 triple-slash in the season’s first month, and has settled in nicely with an .801 OPS on the season.

Is his offense enough to warrant his 2017 return?

The Case For Bringing Freese Back

• Freese added versatility by picking up first base without any significant defensive struggles. Freese has two errors in 224 chances at first, spanning 33 games and 193 innings.
• Freese serves as a right-handed hitter who hits left handers very well. With a .343 batting average and a 1.041 OPS against southpaws, the ability to hit lefties means manager Clint Hurdle would not have to automatically sit the former All-Star when the team faces a left-hander.
• Freese has the experience of being on a World Series team, and is by all accounts a fantastic teammate.
• It was surprising to see Freese field a lack of offers after his 2015 season. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him nearly two full weeks into spring training. Other clubs may not feel he has done enough to re-build his value, making him a relatively cheap option for 2016 also.
• Freese represents a much better option at first than John Jaso. Though Josh Bell‘s arrival is imminent, Freese’s ability to play first could help the club give Bell mental breaks if the rookie struggles in his first MLB season. Whenever that might be.

The Case For Not Bringing Freese Back

• Freese has rebuilt some value, and his annual salary may push north of $5 million. He has posted 1.6 WAR thus far, and should that number continue to climb, he would likely price himself out of the Pirates’ plans.
• Despite his excellent slashlines and splits, Freese is a tad strikeout prone. His strikeout rate of 26.9 percent is high, and is easily the highest on the club among qualified batters.
• Is it possible that Freese has hit his ceiling? After leaving St. Louis, Freese has never collected more than 60 RBI, and his OPS has remained in the mid-.700 range. This may help the Pirates in terms of signing him. If it does not, then the eight-year veteran is stuck in a limbo between being able to play everyday for an MLB team – and being paid as one – or being paid and playing as a part time player. That limbo could be dangerous, and the Pirates aren’t likely to waste their time debating the merits of a large pay increase for the infielder.

Freese will likely not be back with the club. His price tag will inch up above the $5 million/year mark, and that is simply too much for a part-time player. The Pittsburgh Pirates are committed to Jung Ho Kang at third base, and Bell’s imminent arrival signal a reduced need for Freese’s services. There are two caveats to this thinking – if Kang’s status for 2017 is affected by ongoing sexual assault investigations, or if the team can find a taker for Jaso at a very reasonable contract, this would be a very different conversation.

The Pittsburgh Pirates got great value in signing Freese. Can they get great value if they decide to keep him around?

Featured Photo Credit – Daniel Decker Photography