The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up outfielder Jaff Decker, which fills out their roster after sending Wilfredo Boscan down to Triple-A on Monday. Decker has been hitting well with Indianapolis, with a .275/.364/.388 line in 178 at-bats. He’s not hitting for a lot of power, but is doing a great job of getting on base and hitting for average. Decker also provides some defensive value in the outfield, something the Pirates weren’t getting with Corey Hart. Along with that, he actually gives the Pirates a left-handed bat off the bench.
Hart was recently shut down from his rehab, and the future doesn’t look good for him in Pittsburgh. He wasn’t productive while with the Pirates, and Decker is looking like a better option right now. The Pirates would be better off giving Decker the playing time, since he could have some value as a bench piece in future years if he works out. Meanwhile, Hart has struggled the last few seasons, and looks to be on the decline in his career, making it less likely that he will return and give the Pirates any kind of production off the bench this year.