Jerry Crasnick of ESPN has reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates have re-signed utility man Sean Rodriguez to a one year, $2.5 million deal. The club has not yet confirmed.
Sean Rodriguez is coming off a 2015 season where he was fairly underwhelming with the bat as he hit .246/.281/.362/.642 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He was a fairly solid contributor following the All-Star Break, however, as he hit .278/.320/.392/.712 after that point.
Rodriguez provided a ton of defensive value from multiple positions as he was average or better from every position he had regular playing time in 2015:
First Base: 4.4 UZR/150 in 326.2 innings
Second Base: 46.1 UZR/150 in 34.1 innings
Third Base: 45.7 UZR/150 in 34.2 innings
Left Field: 0.8 UZR/150 in 84.1 innings
Right Field: 7.6 UZR/150 in 74 innings
Defense-first players aren’t the sexiest acquisitions, but part of building a contender is having a versatile bench, and while it can be hard to separate Rodriguez the hitter from Rodriguez the defender, it’s something that must be done. He likely won’t provide a ton of value with his bat in 2016, but if he’s anywhere near as good with his glove as he was in 2015, he will be a fairly solid signing for the Pirates.
Rodriguez is far from a super star, but he is a good piece to have for his versatility alone. He can play basically any position on the field and doesn’t hurt you with his defense. With Josh Harrison taking over as the starting second baseman, the Pirates will need a bench piece that can provide multiple-position defensive value, and Rodriguez does just that.
Sean Rodriguez wasn’t exactly Mr. Popularity to a number of Pirates’ fans, but he is what he is at this point. He is an above-average defender at various positions, and a below-average hitter. As long as he doesn’t see regular starting time in 2016, he will be a fairly solid, but unspectacular signing for the Pirates.
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