Pirates agree to a deal with Jarrod Dyson

The Pittsburgh Pirates hit the free agent market once again this offseason. Following the trade that sent outfielder Starling Marte to Arizona, the Pirates filled the gap with former Diamondback Jarrod Dyson on Wednesday. Dyson, 35, spent the majority of his career in Kansas City and spent the past two years in Arizona. In his career, Dyson has a batting average of .247 with 21 home runs, 170 RBIs and 250 stolen bases. While power may not be his strong suit, Dyson hits for power and finds his effectiveness on the base path. Where does this fit in the Pirates organization? This signing was only the third major-league signing for new general manager Ben Cherington, with the other two being catcher Luke Maile (Toronto) and shortstop J.T. Riddle (Miami). This low-risk, high-reward signing not only temporarily fills the gap in centerfield, but it also adds a solid option on defense. Dyson, across all outfield positions, has an average fielding percentage of 98.3 percent and over 1,600 putouts, according to MLB.com. Additionally, he is tied with Justin Upton for No. 21 in the MLB in outfield assists by an outfielder since 2010 with 61. The leader of the category is former Pirates Melky Cabrera (123). In the Pirates’ lineup, Dyson would fit as a flexible contact hitter due to his ability to hit from either side. Moreover, he could be utilized in the first spot as a safety net for a solid contact option, but he can also be used in the eighth spot in the lineup to either drive in a run before the pitcher’s spot, or to get on base to be moved over. Another reason could be due to his low sample size in facing pitchers in the NL Central. The only team he’s faced on more than one occasion is the Milwaukee Brewers. We’ve seen how Rick Eckstein can change hitters that fall into a slump into decent utility players, so what’s one more? While it may be a broken record to say the Pirates make a small, low-risk signing, this could pay dividends for the upcoming season. And since Pittsburgh is not in full rebuild mode yet, they are plugging in players that are due for a bounceback season. Dyson could be that candidate. written by Jake Slebodnick @MLBMarathon on all socials Listen to our podcast available now on all platforms

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