Difo's Exit Provides Some Clarity on Pirates Bench Roles
Every year there are some surprises on a Major League roster who you weren't really expecting much from. Some recent examples include the emergence of guys like Evan Meek in the late 2000s, Josh Harrison in the playoff years, and most recently a guy named Phillip Evans who came into his own in 2020 before promptly having his session ended by Gregory Polanco's elbow. In 2022, the early season surprise was a guy named Wilmer Difo, who the Pirates signed as a Minor League Free Agent this off-season. Not much was expected of Difo, but he took advantage of his opportunity when he got the call. He became one of the best pinch hitters on the Pirates, hitting .296 with a home run and three RBI in pinch-hitting situations.
However, the Pirates got set to welcome back Evans from the Injured List last night, and a tough decision had to be made. In the end, it was Difo who ended up getting DFA'd, ending his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, Difo didn't do much offensively, hitting just, .244 with a home run and six RBI, but what he did provide was a solid glove, especially in the infield. He could play everywhere except first and catcher, even pitching a game, but his bat just wasn't good enough to be successful. In his place steps Evans, who is essentially just as versatile as Difo, playing everywhere except shortstop and catcher. He also showed he can produce and had four home runs and 16 RBI this season. With Difo gone, one thing that has become clear is the Pirates bench player roles. Today, we talk about what roles each of these guys fill and how they will help the team moving forward.
Play Your Role
For a rebuilding club like the Pirates, you have to be versatile when coming off the bench. It isn't good enough to be able to play one position well, you have to be able to play multiple positions well to make it. A Look at the five guys who currently make up the Pirates bench, shows they all have this common theme. Aside from backup catcher Michael Perez, every one of them can play at least two positions. However, you can tell which players manager Derek Shelton is comfortable playing in the infield and which players he is comfortable playing in the outfield. In one group, you have sure-handed infield defenders and in the other group speedy players who can cover ground and catch the ball in the air consistently.
In the infield group, you have Erik Gonzalez and Phillip Evans as the two who will primarily see infield time. Even though Evans got the start in left field last night, Shelton has said that he will bounce around. Evans's best work at the Major League level has come at third base, where, in 76 plus innings this season, Evans has a .963 fielding percentage with just one error. He is also perfect defensively as a first baseman, where he has yet to commit an Error in his Big League career. The key to getting Evans on the field is whether or not he can show the bat consistently enough. For Gonzalez, he has primarily been at third base and shortstop this season but also has the ability to flip to second base. He is probably the best true defender on this team and has committed just four errors in the infield this season.
The outfield mix will look pretty much the same as it has since Phillip Evans went on the Injured List. It will be a battle between Ben Gamel and Ka'ai Tom to see who gets more playing time out in left field. With this battle, it is more a tale of who hits the ball more as both are average defensive left-fielders. After a surge to start his Pirates career, Tom has come back down to earth a little bit, hitting .189 with two home runs and 10 RBI in his 25 games in a Pirates uniform. He has very good plate discipline, with a .354 on-base percentage, but just hasn't been able to get the bat to the ball as consistently as he would like. As for Gamel, he has kept his average in the low .200s and is currently hitting .213 with three RBI in 22 games with the Pirates. His defense has been better than Tom's, and his success in the top of the lineup has earned him some more playing time.
How to Stay on the Bench
If there is one thing the Pirates have proven this year, it is that they are not afraid to cut ties with a player not part of their future. We have already seen them DFA the likes of Anthony Alford, Dustin Fowler, Will Craig, and now Wilmer Difo for poor performance. It just goes to show that if you want to stay with Ben Cherington and the Pirates, you have to prove yourself. Even for a guy like Difo, who was a great pinch hitter at .296, it wasn't enough because when he started he wasn't hitting the ball. There are two keys to being successful as a bench player, and that is pinch-hitting and taking advantage of your opportunities when given them.
As a team, the Pirates are hitting just .205 collectively in pinch-hit situations. They did get a big pinch-hit home run by Michael Perez last night, but overall it has been underwhelming off the bench. The Pirates don't have that guy they can consistently go to in those situations. Difo was showing some success, but not enough to keep him on the team. Right now, the Pirates need production, and the two most productive bench players this year have been Evans and Perez. Both have 4 home runs this season, while Evans has the advantage with 16 RBI compared to 8 for Perez. They have been two of the most reliable hitters off the bench and will need to continue that this season.
As for opportunities, a young rebuilding team is a perfect opportunity for players looking for opportunities. A perfect example of this is a guy like Ka'ai Tom. Tom was DFA'd by the Oakland Athletics and looked to be heading back to the Cleveland Indians organization. However, he was given an opportunity here in Pittsburgh and is currently splitting time in the outfield with Ben Gamel in the Major Leagues. With inexperienced players, you are going to have your share of ups and downs. But that is all part of the growing process as the team tries to get back to the playoffs. We will see several more young guys cycle through the roster this season, but to stay on the Pirates bench they will have to be versatile and know their role.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-36) are back in action tonight as they play game two of their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (35-25) at 7:05 pm. Tyler Anderson (3-5, 4.66) gets the fall for the Pirates after a strong showing last time against a pitcher to be announced for the Dodgers. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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