Yesterday in they space, you read a piece that I did after doing extensive research (i.e., it took me more than ten minutes to look stuff up), that spoke at length about the Pirates' projected first base platoon of Michael Morse and John Jaso. Within hours of that piece being posted, the Pirates shocked everyone with the announcement that they had signed free agent infielder David Freese, last with the Angels, but more prominently known as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was both the LDS and World Series Most Valuable Player in 2011.
As I said, this announcement came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise. It indicated, first and foremost, that Jung Ho Kang would not be ready to play come Opening Day, and the Freese would be slotted to play third base until such time that Kang will be able to return, now projected to be late April or early May. What happens after that is what brings yesterday's Grandstander to your attention. The Post-Gazette reported this morning that Freese would then become part of a platoon at first base with Jaso, and that Morse would become a spare outfielder and right handed pinch hitter. This bears out that those who have proclaimed (Dan Bonk, Joe Risacher among others) that Morse is a not-so-hot jabroney are closer to being correct than I was when I hoped for a return of the effectively hitting Michael Morse who played for the Nats in 2009-12, and that is what smeared the egg on my face mentioned in the headline to this post.
Oh well, you can't get them right all the time, and the most important thing is that the signing of Freese makes the Pirates a better team today than they were yesterday. Freese signed a one year deal with the Bucs, and while he may well be a one-and-done player for the Pirates, this could well prove to be a very significant signing for the team.
Bottom line - Welcome to Pittsburgh, David Freese!
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