The Pirates have announced that they have exercised the 2013 club option for third baseman Pedro Alvarez, and declined the 2013 option for Rod Barajas.Alvarez will earn $700k next season, and would have remained under team control through the arbitration process if they declined his option. He had a breakout season in 2012, hitting .244 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI in 149 games. Despite his offensive success, his defense continued to struggle. He led the NL third basemen with 27 errors on the season.
Barajas hit .206 with 11 home runs in 2012, and will receive no buyout instead of the $3.5 million option. Earlier in the season he expressed interest in returning to Pittsburgh, even if a means of taking a slight salary cut to stay.
Analysis: I'll tell you what, keeping Alvarez for only $700k is one heck of a bargain. The guy is slowly developing into a star, and if he can raise his batting average, the Pirates could be looking to sign him to an extension. I don't expect Barajas to remain with the team even though they barely have any catching depth. They currently have Michael McKenry and prospect Tony Sanchez, and neither of them has proven to be any good in the big leagues. Barajas has a decent track record, but will probably look elsewhere for a job.
No comments:
Post a Comment