Should the Pirates Give Jeff Clement a Chance?

The Pirates made Jeff Clement their starting first baseman for the beginning of the 2009 season, and Clement didn't give them much. He hit .201/.237/.368 in 54 games before being sent down to the minors. He had a rough go of it in 2010 and 2011 suffering from injuries that limited him to just 73 games in those years combined. However, he was healthy starting the 2012 season and he has been one of the system's best offensive producers.

In 50 games, Clement has hit .301/.383/.528 with seven home runs and 17 doubles. He has been an anchor in the middle of the Indianapolis lineup, and he has certainly made a case to get some playing time in the big leagues again.

But should he get it? The fact that right now there isn't an opening. Alex Presley and Jose Tabata are patrolling the corners of the outfield with Josh Harrison filling in when needed, which puts Garrett Jones at first base wit Matt Hague and Casey McGehee; there's a real logjam at the first base position. If Clement were to come up, he really wouldn't have much opportunity to play. However, if a spot opens, we'll have to consider Clement getting a chance.

My question is, how much do you have to do in the minor leagues to get another chance in the big leagues after you have had no success there in the past? If there is such a thing as AAAA player, Jeff Clement would seem to be it. He's 29 years old now and far removed from prospect he was after he was picked 3rd overall in the 2005 draft. Does the past matter when you're talking about a red hot minor league player? Should you take his career .223 major league batting average in 129 games and throw it away because he's hitting well right now? I don't know. There is a big difference between AAA and MLB pitching, but if a guy is hitting so well just one level below, you'd think he would have a decent chance to produce at least a little bit at the big league level.

I'm not going to answer my own question one way or the other. Honestly, I don't know if a guy like Clement deserves another shot. Sure, he hasn't even played a full season's worth of games in the majors, but what we've seen from him while he's been up here has been horrid. Maybe he's matured and maybe he would handle it better if he got another shot, there's really only one way to find out. We aren't going to find out for awhile though, because the Pirates seem pretty set with their roster for right now. Hague, Presley and McGehee have played well recently, but they are far from locked in Pirates uniforms for the rest of the year. If one of them gets hurt, cut, or sent down, we could be looking at giving Clement a chance. The best thing for this team is to not see that happen however, but I suppose it's nice to know that you have a guy in AAA doing everything right in the mean time.