David Freese signing gives Pittsburgh Pirates depth upgrade

Despite his declining skills, David Freese could be a key piece of infield depth for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016.

It took until the second week of March, but David Freese finally has a new home, agreeing to terms with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year, $3 million deal.

At first glance, the Buccos might seem like an odd landing spot for Freese considering the infield and bench depth they already possess. But according to general manager Neal Huntington, several factors went into the decision and the team has a variety of plans for the seven-year MLB veteran.

“The idea is it adds a very talented, veteran bat to our club that is an experienced winner,” Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette. “[He] is going to bounce around the field for us and gives us an insurance policy until Jung Ho is ready to go.”

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The Pirates had hoped that Jung Ho Kang, last year’s surprise rookie, would be ready to go around Opening Day after recovering from September’s season-ending knee injury. The addition of Freese clearly indicates that such an early return is not in the cards.

Kang will open the season on the disabled list, and Freese will fill in for him as the everyday third baseman until he is fully healed. At that point, Huntington says Freese will split time with John Jaso at first base and Michael Morse will take on more of a bench role.

The Pirates could have made do without Freese, relying on a combination of Jaso, Morse, Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison, Jason Rogers and Sean Rodriguez to hold down the infield. But bringing in the former World Series MVP at such a bargain rate could prove to be a solid low-risk, high-reward move.

Freese’s heroics in the 2011 postseason seem a distant memory, but there are some reasons for optimism. After lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to the title over the Texas Rangers, Freese earned an All-Star nod the following year by slashing .293/.372/.467 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs.

The next two seasons were decidedly less impressive, however, as he posted a combined .261/.330/.382 line while only managing a total of 19 homers in 2013-14 with the Cards and Los Angeles Angels.

Last year featured a modest bounce-back, though. Freese batted .257/.323/.420 in 121 games for the Halos. He swatted 14 home runs, an increase of four from the previous campaign, and also boosted his OPS by .039 points to .743. Overall, he posted a 2.3 WAR, his highest since 2012 when he managed a 3.8 mark.

Freese will turn 33 next month, so a full-blown renaissance is probably a bit too much to expect. But his production from a year ago suggests that he can still handle a competent bat at the major league level. In a potential utility role, his numbers look even better.

Pittsburgh won’t need to rush Kang back now, and when he does return there could be ample opportunity for Freese to keep getting regular at-bats if he earns them. Jaso and Morse aren’t exactly the most enticing platoon at first base. Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none Sean Rodriguez should hardly be banging down the door for playing time either (.642 OPS in 2015).

The Pirates will be free to play the hot hand at any given moment, and Freese offers them another respectable option. It’s a long season with a lot of nicks and scratches along the way. In a tough division like the NL Central, depth can make all the difference.

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