Pirates, Church agree to terms pending physical
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Former Braves outfielder Ryan Church batted .273 with four home runs and 40 RBIs last season.
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The Pirates found their fourth outfielder, agreeing to contract terms with free agent Ryan Church pending a physical, according to multiple sources last night.
Church, 31, is coming off a 2009 in which he batted .273 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 111 games split between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. He was hampered much of the summer by a sore back caused by an aggravated sacroiliac joint. In December, he was non-tendered by Atlanta after making $2.8 million, as he surely would have gotten a raise through the arbitration process.
No financial details were immediately available on the pending contract with the Pirates, but the term is expected to be one guaranteed year.
One source cautioned that "steps remain" before a signing, while another said that such steps mostly involve a physical. The physical, expected to take place sometime this week, promises to be more complex than most, given Church's back issue, as well as a long history of concussions.
Church fits the Pirates' profile for their top-priority remaining need among position players, a reserve outfielder capable of stepping into everyday duty: He is versatile and sound defensively, he is a left-handed batter with modest pop, and his career splits -- .280 vs. right-handed pitchers, .248 vs. left-handers, plus 43 of his 51 home runs -- probably would work best in a platoon or bench role.
His best season came in 2007 with the Washington Nationals: .272 with 15 home runs, 43 doubles and 70 RBIs in 144 games.
It became known last week that the Pirates were backing off another free-agent outfielder, Rick Ankiel, in part because of his demands. But they see Church as just as attractive, maybe more so if he is enthusiastic about buying into the reserve role they have in mind. Jose Tabata, the system's top outfield prospect, could make it to the majors in 2010, and management does not want any veteran blocking him -- nor an onerous contract -- once he arrives. Ankiel's agent, Scott Boras, has been selling his client to suitors as an everyday player despite coming off a down year in St. Louis.
Because Church figures to be the Pirates' primary pickup and he will be in a reserve role, that would set up their everyday players as catcher Ryan Doumit, first baseman Jeff Clement, second baseman Akinori Iwamura, shortstop Ronny Cedeno, third baseman Andy LaRoche and outfielders Lastings Milledge, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones, though Clement and Cedeno are not seen as locks.
The bench would have catcher Jason Jaramillo, infielders Ramon Vazquez and Bobby Crosby, and Church in the outfield, as well as one of Brandon Moss, Delwyn Young, Jonathan Van Every or Rule 5 pick John Raynor.
By getting Church, as the Pirates see it, they protect themselves against Clement faltering -- Church would play right field, Jones moving to first in that event -- as well as the chance of injury to any outfielder.
NOTES -- The Pirates' four-day voluntary minicamp begins tomorrow in Bradenton, Fla., with 41 players expected to report today. ... Church was traded for Milledge in a November 2007 deal between the Mets and Nationals, Church going to New York along with catcher Brian Schneider.
First Published January 12, 2010 12:00 am
