Pittsburgh Pirates’ Top 5 Storylines Of Spring Training
By Matt Shetler
1. Who will play first base?
The first base position did not get upgraded in the offseason although general manager Neal Huntington is still pursuing those upgrades.
Aug 1, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman
Gaby Sanchez(14) throws underhand to retire a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the ninth inning against at PNC Park. The St. Louis Cardinals won 13-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t count on anything getting done before Opening Day with such a thin market.
Gaby Sanchez is back and that is a very good thing, at least against left-handed pitching.
Sanchez posted an outstanding .987 OPS against southpaws a season ago and has a knack for getting on base in general. His .364 OPS would have ranked him 14th in the National League last season if he had enough at bats to qualify.
While Sanchez doesn’t have the pure power that you would like to see out of a first baseman, he does get on base at a high rate, which is big as most of the Pirates offense does not.
However there is still his problems against right-handed pitching as he posted only a .619 OPS last season. That could increase with more at bats vs. RHP in 2014, but he did have 162 at bats vs. RHP a season ago so that is a pretty decent sample size.
If the Pirates are going to use a platoon again, the leading candidate should be Andrew Lambo. But Lambo will also compete for a job in right field and at first base will see competition from Chris McGuiness, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the offseason, and Travis Ishikawa, who was signed as a minor-league free agent.
Keeping an eye on the first base situation and whether Huntington looks to make a move is without a doubt the top storyline the Bucs have as they enter the 2014 season.