The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five year 35 million dollar contract extension with right fielder Gregory Polanco with two club options. Polanco started off the 2016 going 2 for 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Earlier today, the Pittsburgh Pirates and right fielder Gregory Polanco agreed on a five-year 35 million dollar contract extension with two club options for the 2022-23 seasons. The announcement comes one day after the Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener by a score of 4-1, winning their third straight opening day game.
Polanco had a big day in that game going 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored for the Pirates. Polanco enjoyed his first full season in the big leagues last year as he was named the starting right fielder for the Pirates. He struggled at times during the season, but for the most part played pretty well and manned the right field position effectively.
In total he hit .256 with nine home runs and 52 RBI hitting mostly out of the lead-off spot in the Pirates batting order. This season, we have seen John Jaso hitting in this spot with Polanco being placed in the middle of the order. While this is very unconventional given Polanco's speed, I feel that the move to the middle of the batting order will be a good one for Polanco as it allows him more opportunities to drive in runs.
A positive that Polanco brings to the Pirates lineup is his speed. He is a threat to run when he is on the base paths and that can reign havoc on any pitcher. As stated before, the Pirates are going to have to play small ball this year with a loss of power. Polanco's speed will allow them to do just that by stealing bases, putting on the hit and run, and advancing that extra base on a base hit.
In a very small sample size, Polanco has shown that he can be a streaky hitter at the plate. He can go from being as hot as anyone in the league to being so cold he couldnt hit a fly. If he can become a more consistent hitter at the plate, he can definitely help the Pirates grow in 2016 and contend for the National League Central title.
Last season, 32 percent of Polanco's hits fell for extra bases (50 out of 152). With Polanco's speed, a ball that lands in the gap is a very dangerous thing. Now with Polanco in the middle of the order, gap shots provide an opportunity for Polanco to drive in runs and help the Pirates win ball games. Polanco;s role on this team has changed this season from just trying to get on base to becoming a run producer. I think that Polanco can handle this new found role and it will help him in the long run become a big producer for this Pirates team.
Defensively, Polanco is a part of one of the speediest outfields in all of major league baseball with Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte rounding out the outfield. While Polanco has the speed of McCutchen and Marte, he is probably the worst out of the three from a defensive standpoint. He takes awkward paths to the baseball and it sometimes causes him to misplay balls that would otherwise be easy outs.
Last season he had a .970 fielding percentage in right field committing eight errors in 268 chances. If he can limit the errors he commits in 2016 it could mean the world to this Pirates team in their hunt for the playoffs. Their is little room for the ball to fall in the outfield with these three manning the position, and if Polanco can improve his defense it will be a big step forward for the Pirates.
One thing you cant discredit is Polanco's arm in right field. Last season he had 260 put outs from the outfield along with 13 assists. Polanco's arm is one that many base runners do not want to take a chance running on. Polanco has saved many runs for the Pirates with his arm alone, but has also cost the Pirates some runs with his poor decision making.
Overall, I really like the Polanco signing. It gives the Pirates control over a young talented outfielder for many years to come. Polanco can have time to learn and develop in the outfield and prove he has what it takes to be the Pirates everyday right fielder. Polanco gives the Pirates a speedy right fielder with the ability to become a star player in major league baseball.
Gregory Polanco and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates return to action tomorrow when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:05 p.m. at PNC Park. The pitching match-up will be Michael Wacha for the Cardinals taking on Jonathan Niese for the Pirates, who will be making his Pittsburgh debut after being acquired in a trade from the New York Mets this off-season.
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