It was perhaps inevitable that Michael Restovich would don a Pirates uniform. When he was with the Twins, several rumors had Restovich being shipped to the Bucs, most notably in a package for Kris Benson. This spring, when it became readily apparent that Restovich days with the Twins organization were coming to an end, the Bucs were again a rumored destination. When he was released he was gobbled up by the Devil Rays, who jettisoned him almost immediately after signing him. The Rockies came calling next, but wouldn't keep him long -- he was designated for assignment earlier this week. A simple PTBNL trade later and Restovich is a Pirate.
I had been hoping that the Bucs would take a flyer on Restovich for some time. He seemed to be just the kind of player the Bucs should be targeting -- cheap, available and possessing possible upside. Of course, those three ingredients rarely go together, kind of like spinach, tabasco and marshmallows. Cheap and available players are easy to find (the Pirates have a number of those kind of players on speed dial), but that last ingredient is the tricky part. As Kris Benson's new contract demonstrated, potential can be costly.
Restovich has got potential, but that potential has been offset by some glaring weaknesses. He has big-time power. But he also has a tendency to strike out... a lot. He just hasn't shown he can capitalize enough on his tantalizing power to warrant a roster spot.
To be fair, he really hasn't been given a proper chance to show whether or not he belongs in the major leagues. Despite playing in AAA since 2002, Restovich only earned 113 major league at bats with the Twins. The frustration of stalling at a level can take a toll on a players, and it certainly took a toll on Restovich. In 2002, he hit .286 with a .896 OPS (including 29 homers) for AAA Edmonton. On the downside, he also struck out a career high 151 times. He earned a cup of coffee that season (a whopping 13 ABs). The following season he hit .275 witha .811 OPS (16 homers) for AAA Rochester. He also cut his K's down to 117. That year he got 53 ABs for Minnesota. Last season, he hit .249 with a 744 OPS (20 homers) for Rochester. A disappointing season, but he did manage to cut his strikeouts again, this time to 103. The Twins gave him 47 more at bats at the major league level.
For players of Restovich's caliber, playing time is sometimes as much a matter of circumstance as it is skill. Restovich certainly has holes in his game, but his stalled development had as much to do with the team he played for as it did his ability (or lack thereof). For the last several years, the Twins have been contenders. And as such, giving a young player enough at bats to see if he can sink or swim just wasn't an option. Sure, the Twins gave plenty of young players an opportunity, but it usually was to players who had undeniable talent (i.e. Joe Maurer or Justin Morneau), who were useful role players (i.e. Lew Ford, Nick Punto), or who filled on open position (i.e. Michael Cuddyer). Restovich filled none of these criteria. He was not a "can't miss" type of guy. He lacked the well-rounded overall skills to be a useful bench player and he played a position that the Twins were particularly deep at. Barring some kind of spectacular display in one of his brief auditions, he was never going to crack the Twin's lineup.
That's not to say that Restovich was particularly bad in his brief cups of coffee. Quite the opposite. He actually has compiled a .278 batting average and .806 OPS in his brief major league career (144 ABs). That ain't shabby. The problem is, he rarely displayed his one plus tool, his power. He hit only 4 homeruns in that limited playing time. Not bad for a player getting his feet wet, but not enough to open the eyes of his former employers.
Ironically, if Restovich had been brought up in the Pirates' system, his career would have probably been much different. He probably would have been inserted in the lineup full-time in 2003 or 2004 (maybe even earlier). It is highly likely he would have seen extensive major league playing time over the last three years. Heck, the organization gave players a lot less talented a shot.
Well, it's a moot point now, because Restovich is now a Bucco. Thanks to the injury to Craig Wilson, he should finally get some consistent at bats. It will be interesting to see what he can do with them. I think he has a shot at sticking with this team, especially if he gets into some kind of comfort zone. Now, I'm not going to getting carried away here. I am not expecting Restovich to be some kind of savior. Let's face it, saviors rarely get cut from two of the worst teams in the league in a matter of weeks. Furthermore, it is entirely possible that Restovich could put up a season comparable to what Rob Mackowiak put up last year -- namely low average, high strikeouts and moderate power. That's hardly a recipe for an All-Star player.
Despite all that, I am intrigued by the Restovich trade. He offers something that is few and far between in the Steel City -- tantalizing possibility. It may not pan out, but you can't roll Yahtzee without a set of dice. I say, let 'em roll.
