After Bell trade: Moran and Craig Set to Battle For First Base Job
On Christmas Eve, the first shoe of the Pirates rebuild fell when the Pirates traded Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Wil Crowe and Eddy Year. With the departure of Bell, it opens up a starting job at first base for the Pirates and a need for a prominent power bat in the middle of the Pirates lineup. With top prospect Mason Martin still years away, the Pirates are either going to have to go on the free agent market and bring in some help, or use what they have inside the organization to fill the void left by Bell. If Spring Training started today, there would be two front runner for the job, each of which showed some potential in the past.
With the implementation of the Designated Hitter in the National League last season, Colin Moran got the chance to move from third base over to first base. Moran had experience at first base in the Minor Leagues and his defensive range limited him at the Major league level. He had a breakout year at the plate in 2020 and proved to be much more defensively sound at first base. The other option is a top prospect who has been blocked for years by Bell in the Major Leagues. After being DFA'd and clearing waivers, Will Craig finally has a clear chance at making the Pirates opening day roster in 2021. We look at both of these players qualifications and see who is more suited to be the team's primary 2021 First Baseman.
Colin Moran
The most likely of the two candidates for the starting first baseman job is infielder Colin Moran. Moran had a breakout year in 2020, leading the Pirates with 10 home runs while hitting .247 with a team-high 23 RBI. While his defense at third base was a liability, the DH in the National League allowed him the chance to move across the diamond to first base last season. It allowed Ke'Bryan Hayes to make his Major League Debut in September and showed that Moran was more than capable of handling first base. In just 166 innings played at first base, Moran committed just two errors and had a .988 fielding percentage at the position.
However, to be an all-around successful first baseman, you have to be able to be one of the top run-producers on the team. When the Pirates traded Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros, they saw the power ability in Colin Moran. It hasn't surfaced yet at the Major League level until the 2020 season, where he was on pace to hit 33 home runs. While it is a small sample size, it is a step in the right direction as Moran will more than likely be the clean-up hitter this season. Moran was hitting the ball harder than ever last season, with a hard hit percentage of 47.2%, and he continued to consistently drive the ball to the gaps with 10 doubles. If he continues his upward swing in 2021, the Pirates could fill the hole that Bell leaves in the lineup with Colin Moran.
Prior to the 2020 season, Moran had just 12 games experience at first base in the Major Leagues. He nearly doubled that in one season, and played solid defense throughout the year. He had a fielding percentage of .988 and helped turn 16 double plays throughout the season, more than any other Pirates first baseman. All Moran has to do is play solid defense and be able to catch the ball at first base. He will get the chance to work with the coaches during Spring Training to learn more about the position. He is already a defensive upgrade over Bell, and having Moran and Hayes at the corners could help make the Pirates offense even better in 2021.
Will Craig
Over the last couple of seasons, we have heard about a young infield prospect named Will Craig. However, he always seemed blocked at the Major League level by Josh Bell at first base and Gregory Polanco in right field. However, with Bell traded, that opens a spot for Craig to join the Major League roster. He was Designated For Assignment earlier this off-season, but cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. There would have to be a spot cleared for Craig on the 40-man roster, and if he would want to make the team he would have to do it as a non-roster invitee. However, he has shown power in his Minor League career, and that is something the Pirates desperately need on the Big League club.
He made his Major League debut in 2020, but only had four at-bats going 0-4 at the plate. However, a look at his 2019 Triple-A numbers shows that he is more than capable of handling the bat. In 131 games played, Craig hit .247 with 23 home runs and 78 RBI in 494 at-bats. Craig dropped 30 pounds between 2019 and 2020 because he hoped that it would help with his stamina. He felt he ran out of gas at the end of 2019 and he wanted to make sure that he had enough energy for an entire season. His struggle in the Minor Leagues was striking out too much as he went down 26% of the time. If he can work on his strikeout rate, he could turn into a prolific power hitter at the plate.
Defensively, he has always been solid at first base with a career .995 fielding percentage at first base. 2019 was Craig's best defensive season to date as he posted a .999 fielding percentage at first base. He committed just one error in 952 innings at the position. He is a Minor League Gold Glove winner and has the proven ability to handle the position. Picking Craig over Moran would be a move to put a natural first baseman at the position while trying to.work through his strikeout problems. Both players should be given an equal shot at the position and both have a really good chance of cracking the Pirates Opening Day Roster.
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