Steve Pearce had an underwhelming follow-up to a breakout 2014 campaign, but Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com reports that he’s hoping to land a two-year deal in free agency.
Coming off 21 homers and a .930 OPS in 2014, Pearce fell off in a big way last season by batting just .218 with a .711 OPS. This included a .623 OPS against left-handers, who he has hit well during his career. Still, he clubbed 15 homers and made starts at first base, second base, and both corner outfield spots, so he could make sense with several teams as a part-time player or right-handed bench bat. It could just be a tough sell to land a multi-year deal.
The Tigers, Indians, and Rangers are among the clubs who have been linked to Pearce this winter. Jon Heyman reported before the holidays that the Mets were also looking into him.