Comments on: Pedro Alvarez is a Bust

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:21:00 +0000

My biggest concern with Pedro at this point is that the holes in his game (pitch recognition/selection, contact ability, defensive footwork on balls in front of him, throwing accuracy, etc.) are exactly the same problems he had when we took him in the draft. He was able to leverage his plus tools (power, arm strength, etc.) well enough to earn promotions without really addressing the weak spots in his game in any way, and now that he’s in the majors the competition is tough enough that he can’t do that anymore. That’s basically the Chad Hermansen story, isn’t it?

I don’t see Ramirez or Bautista as particularly good analogues for Pedro’s situation, because both were promoted to the majors without any significant upper-minors experience. Under those circumstances, it’s entirely understandable that both would need a substantial amount of adjustment time.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:12:00 +0000

Of course, even though Schmidt was carrying a low BA, he was showing a lot of component skills, too: good walk rate, .170 ISO, excellent defensive range, etc. Right now, I’m hard-pressed to come up with any above-average game skills that Pedro’s showing in 2011. He’s got an above-average power tool, but his issues with pitch recognition/selection have almost entirely prevented him from making any real use of it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:12:00 +0000

By: John DiVito

John DiVito — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:23:00 +0000

What would we get in return?

And why would we give up on him when we have him under control for another few years? It isn’t like he’s taking up millions on the payroll.

Wouldn’t Alvarez be more valuable as a bench bat over the next few years than giving up on him so quickly?

Your suggestion makes no sense for the Pirates.

By: Zach Rodkey

Zach Rodkey — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:49:00 +0000

diagree with every one saying pedro alvarez is a bust he is going to be like JOSE BAUSITA trade him away they change one thing and he is a allstar!!!!

By: tom from st pete florida

tom from st pete florida — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:35:00 +0000

He is a bust, and the Pirates would be smart to unload this load, in the offseason. He will never , ever, be anything as a major league player.
The only thing is common player A B and C have in common is they all sucked when they started. The only thing difference with El Burro is that he will remain a shell of a major league player, throughout his career, unlike A Ram and Jose Bautista.
Seriously, get something for this guy in the offseason.

By: Lee Young

Lee Young — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Matt………I agree with you and he has hit much better as a Bucco. I’d love to see BW get regular ABs.

I am not on the “PA is gonna be a star” bandwagon, as some are here. I hope he DOES become a star, I just have my doubts and am pessimistic.

By: Matt Spicer

Matt Spicer — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 04:47:00 +0000

I agree about everything except Brandon Wood. I don’t think his upside is a .670 OPS. At one point he was third best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America. As recently as pre-2008 he was rated the 16th best prospect. At the age of 20, he hit 43 HR with an OPS of 1.054 in high A. He hit 23 HR with an OPS of .835 in AAA at just 22. The next year, still just 23, he hit 31 HR with an OPS of .970.

I get that minor league success doesn’t guarantee major league success, but in each case he was young for the league. He was a highly regarded prospect, and anyone who can put up those kind of numbers at those ages has huge upside. If the Pirates didn’t think he had upside they wouldn’t have claimed him in the first place.

Like you said, he is still just 26 with a little over 600 ABs in his career (basically a full season). There’s no way you can write him off yet.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:34:00 +0000

I think the idea that people want Pedro to fail is bogus. Everybody wants him to succeed. It’s just that he looks much worse at the plate than his terrible numbers. I’ve been in the “concerned about Pedro” camp all year and he’s done nothing to give me much hope.

I also don’t think these comparisons to other players early career numbers are worth much. Yes, Mike Schmidt was terrible when he first came up. So was Brandon Wood. These kind of comparisons are a misuse of statistics and don’t tell us anything about Alvarez. Plenty of stats do tell us things about him, most of which are not pretty.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:32:00 +0000

Every player has a better chance of being a bust. You’re spot on Tim! I get so tired of fans that bitch and moan just to bitch and moan. Pedro is far from a finished product. The uptight boobirds need to relax and just enjoy watching a team that is much improved from 2010, regardless of the current streak.