Pittsburgh designated for assignment this season’s starting first baseman, Ike Davis, and general manager Neal Huntington told Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the Pirates “have essentially committed” to Pedro Alvarez as their new first baseman.
Alvarez was previously the Pirates’ starting third baseman, but throwing problems forced him to stop playing the position and now Josh Harrison is cemented as the starter there.
Instead of parting ways with Alvarez the Pirates have decided to shift him across the diamond to first base, where his throwing problems will hopefully be a non-factor and his offense will hopefully return to 2012/2013 levels. Alvarez strikes out a ton and is a career .235 hitter, but he led the league with 36 homers in 2013 and also went deep 30 times in 2012.
