2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Preview: The Middle Infielders

Pirates 2nd Baseman Neil Walker, the face of the franchise

In today's installment of the Steel World Order 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Preview, we dive into the middle infield situation.

The middle infield contains perhaps the most stable position in the Pirates lineup, with Neil Walker firmly established as a legitimate All-Star caliber hitter and an adequate if not unspectacular defender.  The amazing story of Walker's metamorphosis from top prospect to bust to possible utility player to future superstar happened in less than 24 months, and his infectious style of play has captivated his hometown fans.   

While Walker is the face of the franchise and one of the players we all expect to be leading this team into the promise land, the rest if the middle infield situation is not so cut and dry.  The Pirates cut ties with starting shortstop Ronny Cedeno this offseason after 2 1/2 mainly disappointing seasons.  Cedeno was never able to fully acclimate himself to Pittsburgh, and although his defense improved dramatically over his time here, there was no desire to bring back his .249/.297/.339 line or his lack of clutch hitting.  Cedeno has since signed with the New York Mets, joining an island of misfit toys that should match his skill set perfectly.

In his place, the Pirates signed Pat Meares.

No, the Pirates didn't go back in time and rehash one of the worst contracts in team history.  They simply stayed here in the present day and found a player who might be best considered Pat Meares with slightly more power.  They then signed that player to a 2-year $10.5m contract.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, Clint Barmes.

Pat Meares....errr....Clint Barmes.

Barmes becoming a Pittsburgh Pirate comes down to one man:  Clint Hurdle.  Hurdle was the manager of the Colorado Rockies when Barmes had his breakout 2008 season.  A season in which he hit .290 with 11 HR and 44 RBI in just under 400 plate appearances and was a key player for the Rockies.  Since 2008, Barmes has been very Ronny Cedeno-like albeit with power.  In 2009, he stroked 23 HR for Colorado, while seeing him batting average drop down to .245.  His 2010 and 2011 seasons are very similar, with a collective batting average of .240 over those two seasons.  Last year in Houston, Barmes played a very solid shortstop while only posting a .244/12/39 line for the most team in baseball.  Somehow, those numbers translated to Neil Huntigton that THIS was the guy he wanted as the starting shortstop for your 2012 Pirates.  It only took a contract three times greater than any other team offered to convince Barmes that finding an apartment in Pittsburgh that accepted 6-month leases wouldn't be a problem.

So Bucco fans, that is your starting middle infield - Walker and Barmes.  What else does the team have in terms of players who can step into these key spots if need be?  We can start with Chase d'Arnaud, who spent the majority of his 2011 season being completely overmatched by major league pitching.  A super-utility type who can play 2B, 3B, and SS with great speed and an average glove, d"Arnaud will be closely monitored in Spring Training to determine if he can contribute to the 2012 Pirates.  If not, he will get regular at bats in Indianapolis with eyes on coming up should injuries strike.

Josh Harrison can play third base as well as both middle infield positions

The other option for the Pirates is a fan-favorite in Josh Harrison.  The "J-Hey Kid" is a fun player to watch and despite being built like a weeble-wobble, he showed flashes of being a legit major league player in 2011.  The smart money would have Harrison topping out as a bench player who can offer a nice bat and speed late in games, as opposed to being a starter.  Harrison will be o the 2012 club in some capacity and could see a nice number of plate appearances if he can stay durable.


Other options for the Pirates could include non-roster invitee Anderson Hernandez, who has played for several teams as a utility player, prospect Jordy Mercer, recently acquired Yamaico Navarro, and Gustavo Nunez - formerly a top prospect with the Detroit Tigers.  All will be in camp and all will have a shot to play early in exhibition games to make an impression on the coaching staff.  Nunez could be a fun player to watch, a Rule-5 player who must stay on the roster all season or get offered back to Detroit.  Nunez blazed through the Tigers minor league system, and had a great year in 2011 split between A and AA ball.  At 23-years old, Nunez has the bat and glove to be a player to watch.

Gustavo Nunez was selected from the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft

The Pirates will be counting on Neil Walker to continue to develop as a hitter in 2012.  The only knock on Walker in 2011 was his conditioning, as he seemed to wear down in the dog days of summer.  Of course, playing in 162 games for this club would wear on any player, but the Pirates wold like to see Walker have a complete season before they commit a major contract to him next fall.  Barmes will be the wild card.......what he produces is anyone's guess but we shouldn't expect him to become the next Honus Wagner - or even the next Jack Wilson.


That sums up the Pirates muddled infield - middle infield - situation heading into 2012.  Remember, we are in Part 3 of our 10 part series previewing the 2012 Buccos, so if you missed the first two articles you can get caught up via the "Archives" section on the right side of the page.

Tomorrow, we will take a hardcore look at third base for the Pirates.  That, of course, means we will be talking Pedro Alvarez.  If there is one key to the 2012 Pirates, it is Alvarez - so be sure to check out Steel World Order tomorrow for the gossip and analysis of the Pirates #1 question mark.

Until then, please share our articles on Facebook and Twitter.  We are getting a great deal of traffic from the social media sites and we are thrilled that people are enjoying the site.

Let's Go Bucs!