The Reds are signing utilityman Chad Pinder to a minor league deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Ballengee Group client will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee once the deal is finalized, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
Pinder, 31 in March, joins the Reds after parts of seven seasons with the Athletics. A Competitive Balance Round B draftee in 2013, the Virginia Tech product got to the big leagues for the first time three years later. Pinder’s first couple seasons were productive, as he hit .248/.313/.447 with 28 home runs in 193 games as a part-time player between 2017-18.
The 2019 season saw him connect on 13 more homers in 370 trips to the plate, but his on-base percentage fell to .290. It has hovered in that range for the past few years, with the right-handed hitter only reaching the .300 OBP mark once in the past four seasons (exactly .300 in 2021). In a little more than 1000 plate appearances since 2019 began, he’s compiled a .239/.283/.402 line — offense that checks in 10 percentage points below league average by wRC+ after accounting for Oakland’s cavernous park.
Pinder narrowly set a career high in plate appearances last season, getting to the plate 379 times. He struggled to a .235/.269/.385 clip, striking out a career-worst 31.1% of the time while walking in only 3.7% of his trips. While he managed another 12 homers, he had the seventh-worst OBP among the 246 hitters with 350+ plate appearances.
It certainly wasn’t the kind of platform year Pinder was envisioning. Nevertheless, he’ll add some defensive flexibility and a potential platoon bat to David Bell’s bench in Cincinnati if he can crack the MLB roster. Pinder spent most of his 2022 innings in the corner outfield, but he has a fair bit of experience at each of second base, third base and shortstop. Public defensive metrics haven’t rated his infield work highly, though he’s gotten strong reviews for his corner outfield play.
He also has a solid offensive track record when holding the platoon advantage. Pinder has hit 31 homers in 756 career plate appearances against left-handed pitching, compiling a .264/.322/.456 line against southpaws overall. Even as his production has dipped over the past few years, he’s remained a solid power threat against left-handed arms. That would likely be magnified in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, one of the sport’s most favorable venues for hitters.
With a career .225/.272/.388 mark in a bit less than 1000 plate appearances against righty pitching, Pinder is best deployed in a matchup capacity. He’d make for a potential platoon partner for lefty swingers like TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley and Joey Votto in the corner outfield/first base mix if he can reach the MLB roster. Cincinnati brought in Wil Myers via free agency and Nick Solak through trade to potentially play into that group as well. Catcher Tyler Stephenson seems likely to shoulder plenty of the designated hitter reps, with Pinder perhaps also offering some cover on the left side of the infield for presumptive starters Kevin Newman and Spencer Steer.
Good midseason trade chip to a contender. Could be a nice bench bat
Who is trading for Chad Pinder? What does he offer that any triple-A player couldn’t?
Yankees will trade Hicks for him!
Defense at multiple positions and an established major league track record, assuming last year was a fluke and he improves.
This is definitely a move that the reds would make
When I saw this notification it made perfect sense. Depth move? Of course, but more than that it’s a Reds move. Let’s see if we can squeeze that last bit of toothpaste out of the tube with this guy
It’s about time someone agreed to deal with Chad Pinder!! That whole situation has just gone on for too long!!!
Minor league deal going to a mismanaged organization, feel a bit bad for him. Hopefully he turns things around and takes advantage of that hitter’s park to get his value back up.
I agree I know his last season in Oakland wasn’t like his previous seasons. But he’s versatile and can have a potent bat at times.
Good luck Chi. Thanks for your time in Oakland.
This one is for the Reds
Seems like a good dude. I feel sorta bad for any player going into that mess but he’s still getting paid more than most of us..but it can’t be good for the soul to lose 100 plus games.
When you are a non-descript 31yo utility player, the chance to prolong career with a rebuilding team is gold if he makes it. More ABs to control your fate is all one can ask in keeping the dream going.
When u put it that way I agree. Still would be crappy losing all the time
Career .294 obp. Yikes. Not sure how he gets a major league contract.
He plays multiple positions to a playable degree, has a career 96 OPS+, and averages 18 homers/26 doubles a season. Doesn’t have a great OBP, but does multiple other things fairly well.
How can he average 18 homeruns if he’s never hit that many. Same for doubles. There’s a reason he doesn’t get 500 pa’s
Should’ve stated that its his 162 game average. He’s not great, but a perfectly fine utility man. Career wise, he’s a solid hitter vs LHP, slashing .264/.322/.456.
and lastly he did not get a major league deal
Does Pinder pull a Drury and start hitting bombs in Cincinnati?
Dude hit some towering HR’s in Oakland. A couple of them reminded me of McGwire and I was left figuring out how somebody with Pinder’s frame could do that.
I’m still holding out for a Michael Wacha signing. Call me crazy. He wants two years but the Reds young staff needs a veteran leader. Bronson Arroyo filled that need very well. They missed out on Cueto and Greinke. Two years for $16 million would be a cheaper per year salary than they gave Mike Minor last season. Wacha was 11-2 last year.
Pinder should be a minor league invite.
Wacha has been asking for almost twice that. He probably won’t get it, but I doubt he’d settle for anything Cincinnati would give him
I don’t understand this signing. He doesn’t add anything they don’t have already in other players. They passed up on more obvious needs.
Am I wrong that he is just another Nick Senzel or Matt Reynolds type?
At least Pinder brings more hitting ability. He has a .264 AVG and .778 OPS vs LHP throughout his career, and even though 2022 was his worst season at the dish so far, he still had about league average numbers vs southpaws. Plus, even though his 86 OPS+ is his worst full-season mark, that’s nearly as good as Nick Senzel’s best single-season mar of 87.
There’s nothing to really get, it’s a minor league signing.
If you must dissect it though, the Reds have no shot at contention this year, and Pinder is a strong defensive outfielder that can hit lefties with some power. Seems like a perfectly reasonable minor league signing to me.
Pinder can platoon LF with Fraley as a righty/lefty option. Maybe a flip at the deadline? No real downside here.
A lot of lefties in the OF so that makes sense and I would not count on Senzel for a thing from here o out because they have been burnt too many times by the frequent absences and underperforming. They should have gotten more established big leaguers in the pipeline but I have said that so many times people are probably tired of hearing it.
I don’t see how he wouldn’t make the opening day roster. I’d be surprised..especially with his versatility and power facing lefties. Should be a good veteran presence for a young club.
The Reds are desperately in need of starters, not more utility guys. He’s probably fine for what he is.
Pinder Power! This man has amazing work ethic and can play everywhere. Watch some of his fingers they were absolutely smashed. Good luck in Cincinnati.
Dingers*
Glad you corrected that because he can’t hit dingers with smashed fingers!
The guy can’t hit RHP…A’s tried to keep him in a platoon but then he hit a few HR and they tried (but exposed) him against RHP. Yikes.
.225/.272/.388 against RHP for his career.
.264/.322/.456 against LHP for his career.
Begging the question how he had a career. Feels like he stole $8 million from the A’s
In his defense the A’s steal $$$ from everyone else.
This signing will cause Nick Senzel sleepless nights..
As it should.
2018/19 Pinder would’ve hit 40hr in Cincinnati. Man has fallen off a cliff since 2020. Best of luck Chad.
And here we go again with the complete dumpster diving trash.
Hope the Reds play the kids in April. India at 2B and Steer at 3B. Myers can play 1B. No chads needed except as depth.
Farley, Friesland and Senzel in outfield. Stephenson bouncing between catcher first base and DH. Newman or Barrett at short. De La Cruz and Marte ready to take starting jobs in the Fall.
Sorry about my phone auto corrects! Friedl and Barrendo became Friesland and Barrett.
How about Barrero?
May take a couple injuries to get Pinder on the Reds active roster, but Cincinnati is probably the best shot he has for ML PT in 2023.
Nice move, be cheap and he plays all over the field and has the best ability……..availability
I am holding out hope that theReds sign Tyler Naquin for 2023. I well spent $5 million or so for a gamer whose game is built for GASP.
Krall killed that hope a week or so ago for me but I agree.