The Pirates signed David Freese to a two-year extension, guaranteeing him $11 million.
Good move or bad?
Wishy-washy answer: It depends.
It depends on what happens with Jung Ho Kang, who is currently being investigated for a sexual assault charge brought by a woman in Chicago in June.
In Kang is charged, he's in big trouble. Should be charged and convicted, his MLB career is over.
It's that serious.
If Kang is going to wind up missing significant time, then the Pirates have locked in Freese to play third base at an affordable price. They don't have a viable option for third base otherwise.
If Kang is cleared and returns to the form he showed last season, the Pirates have an expensive back-up player in Freese, who will be paid $6.25 million next season.
There were some troubling comments made after the signing was announced. Both general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle praised Freese for his value in the clubhouse and the community.
Those are great qualities, but they shouldn't be a big priority when deciding to sign players. The main factor is whether the player can help the team win games. That will make him popular in the clubhouse and with the fans.
Freese is 33. There is a possibility the Pirates have seen the best he has to offer this season.
Signing position players over 30 is always a gamble because players inevitably decline in those years. Freese is something of a different case because he isn't being counted on as an everyday player. Ideally, he should play about two-thirds of the time, and some of those would be pinch hitting appearances and coming into games late.
But 33 is still 33, and he'll actually be 34 next April. That's dangerous territory.
If he can maintain this season's level of play, and if he winds up being a replacement for Kang, the Pirates will get value on the contract.
Otherwise, that's a lot of money for a team like the Pirates to spend on a back-up.
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