So much for a platoon system in Pittsburgh. Travis Snider, the Pirate youngster went down with a toe injury and now Jose Tabata is left to handle right field by himself. The San Francisco Giants have been fielding offers for their right fielder, Hunter Pence. As MLB Network's Phil Rodgers mentioned, Pence could be the right fit in Pittsburgh for many reasons.
Now that the Snider/Tabata platoon system has been broken up, the Pirates should focus on getting an everyday outfielder. Pence can provide them with the positive energy needed in any dugout. We saw how great he was in the playoffs for the Giants. He wasn't getting hits, but his presence in the dugout was enough to rally the Giants to their second World Series in three years.
Pence has a triple slash of .277/.320/.457 along with 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a ton of highlights on the field. Pence might still have some fans in Pennsylvania after spending a short period of time with the Philadelphia Phillies. A possible move to the Pirates would be Pence's fourth team in three seasons. He was a Houston Astros' product that was traded in 2011. The Phillies had him for 155 games, before he was traded to the Giants in 2012.
Combined, Tabata and Snider won't provide the offense or dugout presence that Pence can bring to Pittsburgh. Snider is hitting .219 with three home runs and 23 RBI. Tabata is hitting .259 with two home runs and 12 RBI as his batting average has dropped considerably following seven hitless games.
Pence would also provide a healthy and productive right-handed bat in the lineup as Pedro Alvarez and Garret Jones provide a lot of pop from the left side of the plate. Pence would be a solid fifth or sixth place hitter in the Pirates' lineup. Alvarez has the home run power, while Pence can simply do it all with his bat.
How do you feel about the Pirates adding Pence or the Giants losing the quirky right fielder?
