November 10, 200322 yr Pirates Decline to Exercise Reese Option By Associated Press Posted November 10 2003, 3:44 PM EST PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates declined to exercise their option on second baseman Pokey Reese, deciding not to pay him $5,125,000 next year after he missed all but five weeks of last season. Reese gets a $750,000 buyout. Pittsburgh had until midnight Sunday to exercise the option. Reese signed a $5 million, two-year deal with the Pirates in 2002 after rejecting a $21 million, four-year offer from Cincinnati the year before. His average jumped from .224 with Cincinnati in 2001 to .264 with the Pirates in 2002 and had four homers and 50 RBIs. He hit .215 in 37 games last season before tearing a thumb ligament. Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said in September that the 30-year-old Reese would not return to Pittsburgh. "We'll look around baseball and look internally to see what our options are," Littlefield said. The two most likely candidates are rookies Freddy Sanchez and Bobby Hill, both acquired during the Pirates' flurry of deals around the trading deadline. Hill, the only player left from the trade that sent third baseman Aramis Ramirez and center fielder Kenny Lofton to the Cubs, has a .254 average in 64 major league games. Sanchez was considered the Red Sox's top middle infield prospect before going to Pittsburgh in the Jeff Suppan trade. Sanchez hit .341 in 211 at-bats with Triple-A Pawtucket last season, but played only one game in the Pirates' system before missing the rest of the season with tendinitis in his right ankle. He has a .220 average in 32 major league games. Copyright ? 2003, The Associated Press Maybe $2 million or $3 million for Pokey Reese?
November 10, 200322 yr More like 1-2MM and you may have something. I think if we lose Castillo, we could sign Reese to a 1 year deal, maybe pushing $2MM+ and get good production from him. He has speed and an excellent glove. He may not hit .300, ever, but if he could produce a year like 1999 (.285, 10HR, 38SB, .747OPS) he would be a great pickup. He is 30, but I think quite capable of being an asset at the top of the order. Interesting idea Cape...
November 10, 200322 yr I can see I'm in the minority here but frankly a Pokey Reese or a JT Snow are in my mind exactly the kinds of players the Marlins don't need and signing either of them would be a surrender to mediocrity that none of us wants to return to. And suggesting (Rotoworld and others) we should settle for crumbs is insulting. Names. Names. Names. Hero-worship. Hogwash! There have to be five major league ready AAA or second string 2ndbasemen I'd rather take a look at than Pokey. Why p*ss away millions on this has-been? Makes no sense.
November 10, 200322 yr lets not forget that Pokey had a career year in Cincy under McKeon. Great d, speed and some potential with the bat. for the right price, I could easily see him in FLA if we dont resign Castillo
November 10, 200322 yr I can see I'm in the minority here but frankly a Pokey Reese or a JT Snow are in my mind exactly the kinds of players the Marlins don't need and signing either of them would be a surrender to mediocrity that none of us wants to return to. And suggesting (Rotoworld and others) we should settle for crumbs is insulting. Names. Names. Names. Hero-worship. Hogwash! There have to be five major league ready AAA or second string 2ndbasemen I'd rather take a look at than Pokey. Why p*ss away millions on this has-been? Makes no sense. I disagree on Pokey. Pokey is just the kind of hitter that would succeed at Pro Player. a Castillo/Pierre type hitter. He's also got speed and defense, the two attributes this franchise has been built upon.
November 10, 200322 yr I can see I'm in the minority here but frankly a Pokey Reese or a JT Snow are in my mind exactly the kinds of players the Marlins don't need and signing either of them would be a surrender to mediocrity that none of us wants to return to. And suggesting (Rotoworld and others) we should settle for crumbs is insulting. Names. Names. Names. Hero-worship. Hogwash! There have to be five major league ready AAA or second string 2ndbasemen I'd rather take a look at than Pokey. Why p*ss away millions on this has-been? Makes no sense. I disagree on Pokey. Pokey is just the kind of hitter that would succeed at Pro Player. a Castillo/Pierre type hitter. He's also got speed and defense, the two attributes this franchise has been built upon. You mean he "was". He used to have speed, he used to be able to hit. He used to hit for average.
November 10, 200322 yr You mean he "was". He used to have speed, he used to be able to hit. He used to hit for average. Pro Player for old slap-and-gap hitters is like Coors Field for old power hitters: it equals nothing but success.
November 10, 200322 yr Author when i said 2 or 3 million, i was talking a 2 year deal. No more one year deals right? I thought Loria was signing everyone to 2 years now basically. No more than 1.5 million a year for pokey.
November 10, 200322 yr Author Pokey Reese YEAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 2003 37 107 9 23 2 0 1 12 9 31 6 0 .215 .271 .262 .533 CAREER 760 2589 334 650 121 15 41 242 209 471 138 24 .251 .310 .357 .667 Guys, even though we all hope Castillo comes back, I doubt he will stay. Pudge, Lowell, and Lee have a better chance of staying.
November 10, 200322 yr when i said 2 or 3 million, i was talking a 2 year deal. No more one year deals right? I thought Loria was signing everyone to 2 years now basically. No more than 1.5 million a year for pokey. I think he'll be lucky to get $1 Million a year. Therefore making him that much more of a steal if we get him... :shifty
November 10, 200322 yr Author AWARDS ? 1999: National League Gold Glove at 2B ? 2000: National League Gold Glove at 2B 2003 GROUND/FLY ANALYSIS At Bats: 107 | Flyball: 30.8% | Groundball: 24.3% | Strikeout: 29.0% | GIDP: 1.9% SCOUTING REPORT FROM STATS INC. Pokey Reese: Hitting After a miserable 2001 with Cincinnati and a poor first half of 2002, Reese made great progress in the second half of last season. He turned things around by getting back to the basics. He started taking more pitches, hitting the ball on the ground and using the whole field. He runs into problems when his back leg collapses and he hits the ball in the air, preventing him from utilizing his speed. While the Pirates would like Reese to take over the leadoff role, he shows a knack for coming up with clutch hits, in part because he doesn't try to pull the ball with runners on base. More... 2003 season
November 10, 200322 yr Pudge, Lowell, and Lee have a better chance of staying. Lowell, yes. Pudge, 50/50. Lee, no.
November 10, 200322 yr Author Scouting Report 2002 Season Following a 2001 campaign in which he batted just .224 for the Reds, Pokey Reese endured a whirlwind offseason. He was traded from Cincinnati to Colorado to Boston, but then wasn't tendered a contract by the Red Sox. He landed in Pittsburgh with a two-year, $6.5-million deal. Reese wound up filling a large hole at second base for the Pirates, and served as the team's primary leadoff hitter for the last month and a half. He finished strong, hitting .333 in his last 15 games and .285 in 64 games after the All-Star break. Hitting After a miserable 2001 with Cincinnati and a poor first half of 2002, Reese made great progress in the second half of last season. He turned things around by getting back to the basics. He started taking more pitches, hitting the ball on the ground and using the whole field. He runs into problems when his back leg collapses and he hits the ball in the air, preventing him from utilizing his speed. While the Pirates would like Reese to take over the leadoff role, he shows a knack for coming up with clutch hits, in part because he doesn't try to pull the ball with runners on base. Baserunning & Defense Reese has very good speed and outstanding instincts on the bases. He reads pitchers' moves well and has an innate sense of when he can steal a base. Reese is an excellent fielder with good first-step quickness, outstanding range, soft hands and an above-average arm. He also helped the Pirates lead the major leagues in double plays last year. 2003 Outlook Reese will be back to add energy with his defense at second base and speed on the bases. The Pirates are hopeful he continues his offensive improvement and can prosper in the leadoff spot. Reese underwent an offseason strength and conditioning program after being nagged by injuries to his hamstring, knee, calf, side, finger and elbow in 2002.
November 10, 200322 yr Cape, even at a million dollars a year would you take a guy with these numbers?? I look at his stats and I see a guy who has been living off his "name" for the last three years. No offence to you or your post but I believe we can do better. ESPN's Pokey stats - get out your closepins people, they really stink.
November 10, 200322 yr Cape, even at a million dollars a year would you take a guy with these numbers?? I look at his stats and I see a guy who has been living off his "name" for the last three years. No offence to you or your post but I believe we can do better. ESPN's Pokey stats - get out your closepins people, they really stink. Those stats are in five weeks of play this season. Not only that, but Pro Player would have an amazing affect on his offense.
November 10, 200322 yr Author I think we can get him for less than a million a year, but we will have to wait. He has prospered under McKeon and has two gold gloves. The man helped the Pirates lead the league in DPs in 2002. I think he can still be brought back, everyone thought Pudge was over the hump, same with Chad Fox and Rick Helling.
November 10, 200322 yr Author One major thing is his baserunning and defense don't struggle through hitting woes, which is big. Castillo can have spurts of defensive problems when he is in a long slump.
November 10, 200322 yr One major thing is his baserunning and defense don't struggle through hitting woes, which is big. Castillo can have spurts of defensive problems when he is in a long slump. I've never seen that. He's basically consistant 24/7, IMO.
November 10, 200322 yr Author One major thing is his baserunning and defense don't struggle through hitting woes, which is big. Castillo can have spurts of defensive problems when he is in a long slump. I've never seen that. He's basically consistant 24/7, IMO. No, when Castillo gets in a slump long enough, he will have balls roll through his legs and make errors of that sort. He did it alot when he was young, but this season was the first time he never had a Castillo slump and didn't have it happen.
November 10, 200322 yr No, when Castillo gets in a slump long enough, he will have balls roll through his legs and make errors of that sort. He did it alot when he was young, but this season was the first time he never had a Castillo slump and didn't have it happen. I was about to say. I don't even remember Castillo being in a slump this season. lol.
November 10, 200322 yr I wouldn't have a problem with Pokey if it's for the right price (2 years, 2-3 million total). He's not the best hitter in the world, but if he hits .270 (and he can) with his speed and his defense, he'd be well worth having in the lineup. He's a slap hitter and good bunter (from what I saw in Cincy) and it's not like we're going to get someone who bashes the ball around to play 2nd. I honestly wouldn't expect Grudzielanek or Walker to put up much better numbers offensively (maybe 5 more homers, but no better averages) and Reese brings more to the table in the speed and defensive parts of the game. I can't believe he's already 30 though.
November 10, 200322 yr Pokey...pass. Unless you get him at a bargain baseball price of under 1 million. His ability to actually make contact at times is sad.
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