Dejan Kovacevic says in this week's chat that Pedro Alvarez's role as the Pirates' starting third baseman might not be set in stone.
↵↵↵DannyMoe: Most intriguing roster battle for PBC this spring?
↵Dejan Kovacevic: Easy: Third base. I'm hearing that the Pirates are anything but set on handing the position to Pedro Alvarez. He's going to have to earn it, or he'll be playing his ball right here in Indiana.
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Unfortunately, this makes sense. In many cases, I'm all for letting young players learn on the job, but Alvarez looked so unbelievably clueless in 2011 that it's not a given that the major leagues are the best place for him right now. I'd give him every opportunity to earn the job, but if he can't do it, he should probably be in Indianapolis. One of the reasons the Pirates acquired Casey McGehee this offseason was to prepare for just such a scenario.
↵For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.