Toronto Blue Jays: Why Steve Pearce is a Great Signing
He might not be a high-profile name, but utilityman Steve Pearce is a player that can pay huge dividends for the Toronto Blue Jays.
By signing Steve Pearce to a two-year, $12 million deal, the Toronto Blue Jays have added a very useful utility player who will likely resolve their issue at first base as the team is reportedly prepared to move on from slugger Edwin Encarnacion.
Pearce is nowhere near the hitter Encarnacion is, that much is obvious, but he is still a productive hitter who can contribute on a nightly basis. Although he doesn’t have a long track record of success, the Blue Jays are betting on Pearce and it’s a great idea when you evaluate what he brings to Toronto.
Over the past three seasons Pearce has been extremely productive, but his playing time has been sporadic, which has been a theme throughout his career due to injuries. The 33-year-old utilityman is your prototypical “he’s good when he plays, but he doesn’t play everyday” type player.
However, when you compare Pearce’s numbers to Matt Holiday, who just signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Yankees, you’ll quickly realize that the gap isn’t as big as the $7 million difference might suggest.
2016 Season:
| G | PA | H | 2B | HR | AVG | OBP | SLG | ISO | WAR | |
| Matt Holliday | 110 | 426 | 94 | 20 | 20 | 0.246 | 0.322 | 0.461 | 0.215 | 0.7 |
| Steve Pearce | 85 | 302 | 76 | 13 | 13 | 0.288 | 0.374 | 0.492 | 0.205 | 2 |
Extend that sample size to the last three seasons, like Paul Swydan did over at FanGraphs, and you’ll see more even similarities. In fact, although Holliday has 360 more plate appearances than Pearce over the last three seasons, Pearce has hit five more home runs than Holliday, has posted a slightly better slash line (Pearce: .267/.347/.493, Holliday: .265/.360/.441), and owns a higher WAR (Pearce: 7.3, Holliday: 5.2).
More from Toronto Blue Jays
- Blue Jays avoid disaster as Kevin Gausman injury not serious
- Blue Jays interested in outfielder Andrew Benintendi
- Blue Jays hope fresh start for Sergio Romo boosts bullpen
- Blue Jays need to have a break from Yusei Kikuchi
- Blue Jays: Nate Pearson suffers yet another setback
Statistically speaking, the two players are comparable, and I think we can all agree that Pearce is a more useful defender. Not to discredit Holiday, he’s easily been one of the best hitters in baseball during his career, but he’s not the same hitter that he once was.
Of course, there’s a fee, or a luxury tax per se, to signing a name like Matt Holiday. But, again, when you consider that Holiday is three years older than Pearce, costs $7 million more, and is a downgrade in the field when compared to Pearce, I’d say the Blue Jays did well for themselves given what was available in this market.
Market comparison aside, though, Pearce fits what the Blue Jays do both offensively and defensively. He is a capable first baseman that will likely platoon with Justin Smoak, and his ability to play second base, third base and the outfield provides the Jays with an invaluable utilityman that will allow guys like Josh Donaldson, Devon Travis and Jose Bautista (pending Toronto re-signs him) to take an extra day off.
Offensively, he’s a scrappy hitter who isn’t afraid to use the whole field.
The spray chart is a three year sample size, so don’t be alarmed by the number of home runs you see. However, when you consider that Pearce owns a .171/.310/.314 slash line at the Rogers Centre, the spray chart is encouraging if you’re the slightest bit concerned about his career numbers in Toronto, which you shouldn’t be. The Blue Jays are hoping Pearce can continue his production from the past two seasons while likely seeing 300-400 plate appearances.
The caveat with Pearce however, is health. He’s dealt with a slew of injuries during his career and is currently recovering from offseason elbow (flexor tendons) surgery. While he is expected to be back for Spring Training, his track record of injuries (he’s only had one season of 100 or more games played) would suggest that he doesn’t play a full season with the Jays, which is okay when you consider his role on the team.
Next: Encarnacion Will Reportedly Sign During Winter Meetings
Pearce is said to be a tough, high-energy type player that would run through a wall for his teammates, so I’m sure he’ll fit in well in the Toronto clubhouse too. Overall, his two-year, $12 million contract makes him an inexpensive, low-risk, high-reward player that can pay major dividends for the Blue Jays if he can stay healthy for the majority of the next two seasons.