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Pirates Considering Alternatives To Lyle Overbay

Rob Biertempfel of the Trib tweets that the Pirates could begin to use Garrett Jones as an alternative to Lyle Overbay at first base:

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#Pirates GM: "Garrett (Jones) becomes a viable option (at first base) if we can't get Lyle (Overbay) on track."

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Overbay is hitting .230 AVG / .310 OBP / .356 SLG right now. Even given that 2011 has been a down year for offense and that Overbay has helped the Pirates' defense with his scooping ability at first base, his offense has been unacceptable. 

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Overbay was signed to a $5 million contract in the offseason, a contract that looks pretty likely to be a bust. At the very least, the Bucs should have seen this as a legitimate possibility. Overbay is 34, an age when many players are in decline, and he had already had a somewhat weak season in 2010 with the Blue Jays, batting .243/.329/.433. At his best, Overbay hit for a decent blend of batting average, walks, and power, but those days might be behind him.

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If Jones were to begin taking at-bats from Overbay, then Xavier Paul would probably take more at bats in right field.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.