MLB Free Agency: Five First Basemen the Pittsburgh Pirates should target
By Matt Shetler
1. James Loney – Baring an unforeseen trade, the Bucs will have to land a first baseman via free agency and the market is pretty thin. Alex Dickerson could be the first baseman of the future and I love his power potential, but he won’t be ready for a year or two, meaning Loney should be the team’s top priority.
Oct 7, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman James Loney (21) reacts after a double during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox of game three of the American League divisional series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Loney signed with Tampa last year, which proved to be a bargain at $2 million. In the process, the veteran rediscovered his hitting stroke and played his usual strong defense at first base.
Loney’s line-drive swing produced a .299 batting average last year, which ranked 13th in the American League. He owns a solid .285 career batting average, mostly due to his high contact rate. He struck out just 12.9 percent of the time last year, which would be a nice change in a Pirates lineup that generally strikes out a lot.
In addition, Loney’s 29.8 percent line drive rate last year topped all of MLB. He also posted a .348 on-base percentage, which was above the average first baseman’s .332 mark. Although he lacks typical first baseman power, his defense (a Gold Glove finalist this year) and his contact rate should make him a nice fit for the Bucs.
In addition to the Pirates, teams like the Rockies, Mets and Brewers could be seeking first-base help. Loney should be affordable as he will likely get a deal similar to that which the Pirates gave to catcher Russell Martin last year, around two years and $17 million.
2. Mike Napoli – Napoli reportedly has a one-year offer on the table from the Boston Red Sox and because of his power could be out of the Pirates price range as teams searching for power bats like the Texas Rangers will likely be in the mix.
One drawback with Napoli is the fact that he has avascular necrosis (AVN) in both hips, but he was relatively healthy last season as he avoided the disabled list all year.
On the positive side, Napoli is one of the top sluggers on the free agent market, as he leads all qualified free agents in isolated power. He is also one of just 10 players to hit at least 20 home runs in each of the past six seasons. His power, plus his strong career walk rate of 12 percent led to an impressive .360 OBP this past season. Based on his OBP and power, he is one of the top free agent hitter on the current market.
However he strikes out a lot, 32.4 percent of his plate appearances this year, and the Bucs may have to think twice about having another strikeout-prone player in their lineup.