Jack Wilson Returns

Prior to tonight's home game against the St. Louis Cardinals, shortstop Jack Wilson should be activated from the disabled list, and fill-in Brian Bixler will be returned to Indianapolis, where he belongs. Now, it's no secret the Pirates have been struggling horribly the past 2 weeks, losing 8 games in a row, and 12 of their past 13. And, though I don't think Jack Wilson alone could have prevented this losing streak, I feel that the Pirates would have perhaps won another game or two in this span, or at least, not looked quite so bad, if Wilson had been here. To be fair, I should add that the Wilson was placed on the DL prior to the game in San Diego on April 26. The Pirates won that game, so, technically, they lost 12 of 14 with him gone.

Speaking just of the team's record, with Jack Wilson on the disabled list this year, the Pirates are 2-12. In 2008, Wilson also missed time due to injury. While he was on the DL last year, the Pirates went 22-24, which is actually a better winning percentage than they're accustomed to. However, the primary fill-in for Wilson the past two seasons has been Brian Bixler. Though Bixler has performed well in AAA, the Majors does not seem like his cup of tea.

Covering parts of the last three seasons, Bixler has hit a combined .280 with 12 home runs and 95 RBIs in 988 plate appearances for the AAA Indianapolis Indians. Decent, but unspectacular statistics. Bixler has stolen 53 bases in this time, but his strike outs-to-walks ratio is a poor 2.74:1. With the decent average and the speed and some extra-base-hits, it would appear that Bixler is performing very well in AAA, and perhaps that performance would translate to the Bigs. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

In these past couple of weeks, where Wilson was injured and the Pirates turned a solid start to the year into the usual sad routine, Bixler made 8 starts at shortstop for the Bucs. In those 8 games, Bixler hit .200, with 1 walk and 18 strike outs. Among his 5 hits, he did manage 3 doubles, and he did drive in 3 runs. But striking out in 18 of your 25 at bats? Absolutely horrid.

In 2008, Bixler was just as bad. Though he only struck out 36 times in 108 at bats (by the way, that's still a pace of 200 K's for a 600 at bat season, which is Mark Reynolds territory), Bixler hit just .157 with 3 extra-base hits and 2 RBIs. Aside from his 2004 campaign, Jack Wilson has never really been thought of as an offensive shortstop. However, compared to his backup, Wilson is a regular Luke Appling.

Now, much has been made of the fact that Wilson's contract runs out after this season (he does have an option at around $8.5 million that the Pirates will absolutely NOT pick up). Wilson has stated that he would like to remain in Pittsburgh, even at a lower salary, for at least one more year. Just how low? I don't know. I've said it before, if Wilson will take something in the $3-4 million range, he would be well worth it.

Though Wilson's not the long term answer at short, he is the best option for this year and next. Bixler has proven, thus far, that he's not capable. There are a number of other intriguing shortstops in the lower levels of the minors (AA: Brian Friday, High A: Jordy Mercer, Low A: Chase D'Arnaud, Injured/Out for Year: Jarek Cunningham) but only Friday would have a legitimate chance of being major league ready at some point in 2010, though if he were to have to wait a little longer in AAA, or share time in the Bigs with Wilson, I doubt his growth would be too stunted.

I get the rebuilding, or whatever you want to call it, and I'm all for that. I would have no problem with saying so long to Wilson, and letting Bixler flounder around out there for a full year if I thought he would get it figured out and become a competent shortstop. However, I don't see Bixler reaching that level and he's probably looking at an uninteresting, and somewhat disheartening, career in the mystical in-between world of 4A.