The Pittsburgh Pirates have not seen any improvement from outfielder Nate McLouth as he has been designated for assignment. In 62 plate appearances, McLouth only hit .140 in 34 ballgames.
McLouth was given a second opportunity to become a Pirate on December 7th, when they signed him to a one-year deal. He had been traded to Atlanta in 2009 after being an All-Star in 2008, when he hit .276 with 26 homeruns and drove in 94 runs. He also had an on-base percentage of .356.
After being traded to the Braves he struggled. He never had the same hitting numbers and was even sent down to the Braves' minor league team, the Gwinnett Braves. As a Brave, he totaled 10 homeruns and 40 RBI in 166 games.
It is very disappointing to see McLouth go. He seemed like one of baseball's up and coming stars in 2008. Not only was McLouth an All-Star, he also played a stellar outfield, good enough to win him a gold glove that season.
The Pirates are one of the least productive teams in baseball. They could not afford to let McLouth take his time getting back on track. They are 29th in batting average, 22nd in homeruns and last in RBI.
Infielder/outfielder Matt Hague will be called up from the Pirates' Triple-A system. He has hit six homeruns in the past six games. Power that the Pirates can truly use.
