Starling Marte is tearing it up at AAA Indianapolis
The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a bad loss at the hands of the Colorado Rockies Monday night. The Pirates offense has been off to a slow start in the second half of the season. The Pirates struck out 44 times in Milwaukee over the weekend, but the defense may be a bigger concern. In the past four games, the corner outfield defense has been suspect at best. Garrett Jones, Josh Harrison and Drew Sutton have all committed errors or have taken awful routes to balls.
The recent struggles have led to an out cry from Pirates fans for top outfield prospect Starling Marte. Marte is putting up impressive numbers at triple-A Indianapolis. Marte is hitting .291 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI. He is also regarded as a very good defensive outfielder.
The Pirates need to decide what to do with Marte in the next few days or so. If Neal Huntington feels that Marte is too valuable to trade, then Marte should join the Pirates immediately and help the team contend in the NL Central. Marte’s name has also been linked to trade rumors in a possible deal for Diamondbacks’ outfielder Justin Upton.
It has been said by many sources around the team that the Pirates are simply waiting to the last minute to call up Marte because they want to see how a player reacts once he knows he is about to be called up. I ask the Pirates front office this question: Is it really time for mind games in the middle of a pennant race and the best season in over 20 years?
Regardless of what the Pirates decide to do, the wrong thing to do is to let this type of talent in the minors. If the Pirates value Marte so much that they are not willing to trade him, then why waste him in the minors? He is obviously a better option than Harrison or Sutton. It is decision time for the Pirates front office.
