The Pittsburgh Pirates moved their record back to an even .500 after a come-from-behind victory on Sunday. This is the first time since 2005 that the ball club has been at .500 this late into the season. The hero did not come in the form of Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, or even Pedro Alvarez. Rather, it came from backup catcher Ryan Doumit.
Doumit’s three-run, go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 8th inning on Sunday was exactly the spark the Pirates needed to propel them to a victory. But beyond that, what else are the Pirates getting from the guy?
Last year’s acquisition of catcher Chris Snyder all but put a close to Doumit’s career in Pittsburgh and despite only being a lifetime .231 hitter, Snyder provides the Pirates with something that they could never get out of Doumit. Durability.
Doumit has been sidelined from season to season with a multitude of injuries, never playing more than 124 games in a season. Health has always been an issue that has plagued him. However, for the right price, Doumit could prove to be a valuable commodity.
Doumit, a switch hitting catcher could be very valuable somewhere else. The Boston Red Sox have expressed interest in Chris Snyder but with Doumit’s recent power surge, perhaps they begin eyeing that possibility.
I think it would be in the Pirates best interest to move this guy sooner rather than later. If they can find an appropriate deal in which they bring back some talented prospects, I think it would be well worth it, especially if it’s a deal with Boston, who has one of the deepest minor leagues in baseball.
If the Pirates can add depth to their minor leagues while dealing an older player whose only use might come this season, I think it’s important that they pull the trigger on it. Doumit has been a nice fan favorite since he’s been here, but now it’s time to start building towards the future.
Written by Shane McFarland
No comments:
Post a Comment