Q&A: Pirates Blogger on Adam LaRoche
Last week, in an interview on ESPN Radio, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark said the Mets are most interested in acquiring a left-handed hitting first baseman.
…the buzz in baseball last month had been that the Nationals were 
asking the Mets for Bobby Parnell, among other prospects, in a deal for left-handed hitting 1B Nick Johnson…
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The Pirates and Giants have had trade talks regarding 2B Freddy Sanchez and, to a lesser extent, 1B Adam LaRoche.”
…i can’t help but wonder if laroche is a fit for the Mets, since he will be a free agent at the end of this season… he’s a left-handed hitting first baseman, though, and i can’t think he will cost all that much in trade…
The 29–year-old LaRoche is hitting .268 with 11 HR and 37 RBI in 73 games for the Pirates this season. He ended the last two seasons with at least 21 HR, 85 RBI and a .341 OBP, while batting at least .270.
LaRoche hit 32 HR for the Braves in 2006, after which he was traded to the Pirates in a deal for reliever Mike Gonzalez.
…i know very little about laroche, outside of what i have seen in the few times the Mets play the Pirates, so i e-mailed Pirates fan Tom Smith, blogger from RumBunter.com, to ask some questions…
Matthew Cerrone: Do you think the Pirates will trade LaRoche? If so, what type of talent are they typically looking for?
Tom Smith: Hell yeah, the Bucs are going to move Adam…
The Pirates desperately need power hitting along with a shortstop of the future… I believe you could steal LaRoche for low-level, high-upside prospects or a solid shortstop, as the Bucs are in full-blown rebuild mode. Another possibility would be a three team deal, which I had heard was in the mix. Nevertheless, the talent in return for LaRoche is a difficult question to answer. Neil Huntington has done a nice job of getting several players in recent trades and we look for that trend to continue.
Matthew Cerrone: What type of player is he, is he a leader?
Tom Smith: Many of the fans in Pittsburgh feel he is a perfect fit for the team and Pittsburgh. He doesn’t say a whole lot and is an avid outdoorsman… LaRoche has become the leader of the team, he is a proven veteran producer. RumBunter.com wouldn’t think he would be very comfortable in New York, but you know what, you are putting together a winning team and Adam hasn’t been a part of that for a long time. Everyone at RumBunter.com wishes him well should he get moved at the deadline, he is a class act and the Mets would be very fortunate to pick him up. Especially since he keeps himself in great shape and very rarely misses games with any type of injuries.
Matthew Cerrone: How is he on defense?
Tom Smith: LaRoche has a great glove at first base… He works hard on defense each and every year and continues to improve.
Matthew Cerrone: Without looking at stats, from your gut, do you feel like he hits well in the clutch, with runners in scoring position, key spots, etc.?
Tom Smith: Adam doesn’t hit well in the first half of the season. Ever. When it starts getting warm, so does he. He always hits well at home… If the Mets are renting him for the season, they certainly will like what they get and they are definitely renting for the right half of the season. He is going to hit around .300, have about 20 homers and drive in 90 to 100 runs. Mets fans will love this guy… He also hits the right-handed relief pitcher very well.
Matthew Cerrone: Lastly, what is the best and worst part of his game?
Tom Smith: He has a perfect swing that drives balls into the gaps. Worst part of his game is his speed and his notoriously slow starts.
… by the way, to learn more about O’s 1B-OF Aubrey Huff, click here to check out a similar Q&A i did in June with Matt Sadler of Right Off Russell…
