4/22/2014 – Baltimore Orioles designate LF Steve Pearce for assignment.
4/27/2014 – Baltimore Orioles release LF Steve Pearce.
Technically speaking Pearce was placed on release waivers and claimed by another team. He declined the claim, opting to become a free agent instead.
4/29/2014 – Baltimore Orioles sign free agent LF Steve Pearce.
Turns out the Toronto Blue Jays made the claim on Pearce, and it’s rumored that the Pirates contacted him during his brief free agency stint. Typical Toronto, trying to take everything good we have.
Discuss this post and Steve Pearce’s 2014 season on the BSL forums here.
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(October 10, 2014 – Source: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)
That is how close the Orioles were to losing Steve Pearce last season. The powerful righty would go on to put up a triple slash line of .293/.373/.556 while posting a wOBA of 404. That offensive output would be good for a 161 wRC+ which means Pearce was 61% better with the bat than the average MLB hitter.
The funny thing about Pearce is that he isn’t just a bat-only kind of guy. It’s kind of humorous that he was listed as a LF in the official MLB transactions because the O’s had really only used him as a 1B/DH type, but that would prove to be some pretty powerful foreshadowing. Advanced defensive metrics (and the eye test) will tell you that Pearce is not only capable of holding down first base, he’s a more than capable corner outfielder as well. We all know he can DH as well, making Pearce a valuable utility option for Buck Showalter.
Ben Zobrist’s star was born during his 2009 season where he posted 6.4 WARP while becoming a huge part of Joe Maddon’s upstart Rays. Zobrist could play 2B or pretty much any OF position, making it easy for Maddon to mix and match his lineups and defensive positioning to best utilize the rest of his roster. Zobrist got 599 plate appearances that season, appearing in Maddon’s lineup daily.
Last season Pearce put up 4.8 WARP despite only getting 383 plate appearances. The power hitter played 1B, LF, and RF for the O’s last season, not to mention the eight games where he was the designated hitter.
Pearce isn’t quite to the level of Ben Zobrist, though there are plenty of parallels one could draw if they so chose. I won’t make those connections beyond to say that Zobrist’s utility player skillset that comes with everyday player production is a huge asset for Tampa Bay. Pearce has the oppportunity to produce the same kind of value for the O’s–a super utility guy that provides reliable starter-level production. Every team in MLB seems to have a utility guy that can hold their own in limited playing time (looking at you Ryan Flaherty), but few have multi-positional starters like Pearce or Zobrist.
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Roster flexibility is of utmost importance to DD and the O’s. Buck Showalter has shown a deft hand in deploying the resources he has available to him throughout the course of the season. The O’s roster is largely comprised of somewhat flawed or overlooked players. Fortunately Buck Showalter is careful to utilize them in situations where they can succeed which makes the output greater than the sum of its parts.
Pearce plays a huge role in this because of his flexibility. He can play in the outfield if the O’s pick up a couple of bats to platoon at DH while Chris Davis mans first base. Pearce could also play first base with Davis DHing (Pearce is a better defender) should the O’s acquire OF help (or not).
Regardless of the position Pearce plays, his ability to play multiple spots on the diamond gives Dan Duquette some margin for error in building the roster. It also alleviates some of the pressure on Buck Showalter who needs to ensure that he’s getting as much production out of his lineup as possible.
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I’m not going to get into why I believe in Pearce’s production for 2015; that’ll come in the next few weeks here at BSL. I will say that Steve Pearce is a big part of why I think the O’s will have another successful season in 2015. Not only will he continue to produce at a high level, he’ll do so while playing multiple positions on the diamond.
Jeff was the owner of the Orioles blog Warehouse Worthy, which focused on making advanced statistics a part of the conversation for the average fan. Outside of baseball, Jeff is a graduate of Loyola University where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Business Administration. The Maryland native currently works for an Advertising Agency in downtown Baltimore. Previously a contributor to Beyond the Boxscore, he joined Baseball Prospectus in September 2014. You can reach him at jeff.long@baltimoresportsandlife.com.