Red Report 2016 - Jordan Pacheco

Fast Facts

Positions: First Baseman, Pinch Hitter and Third Baseman
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1", Weight: 200 lb.

Born: Albuquerque, NM
College: University of New Mexico
3rd team All-American, 1st team All-Mountain West (2005, 2006,2007), Mountain West Conference Player of the Year (2007)

The only batter to reach the major leagues from La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, NM.

South Atlantic League All-Star, South Atlantic Leauge MVP (2009); California League All-Star (2010)

6th in 2012 NL Rookie of the Year (Bryce Harper)

Organizational Information

Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 9th round of the 2007 amateur draft.
Signed June 14, 2007
Debut: September 6, 2011 (Age 25.219, 17,689th in MLB history) vs. ARI 4 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2012 season
Teams (by GP): Rockies/Diamondbacks 2011-2015

Transactions

June 12, 2014: Selected off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Colorado Rockies.
November 8, 2014: Granted Free Agency.
December 27, 2014: Signed as a Free Agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
October 5, 2015: Granted Free Agency.
January 16, 2016: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds.

Career Statistics

Scouting Report

Jordan has played a bit of catcher throughout his career, so he probably has plenty of feelings about umpires. Here he is as a Rockie, doing his best Joe West.

Here's Jordan injuring Carlos Gonzalez on accident. Watch yourself, Reds on-deck, batters.

2016 Projections

Season	Team	G	PA	HR	R	RBI	SB	BB%	K%	ISO	BABIP	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	wRC+	BsR	Off	Def	WAR
2016	Steamer	0	1	0	0	0	0	6.1 %	17.9 %	.094	.275	.232	.285	.326	.270	63	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2016	ZiPS	96	290	3	25	26	2	6.2 %	15.5 %	.094	.277	.242	.294	.336	.277	69	0.3	-10.1	-3.9	-0.5

Outlook

Well, here we are, just a few days before Opening Day, and you're reading about Jordan Pacheco.

I would think that at the beginning of Spring Training, this seemed like a long shot (and I'd be lying if I said I could've even picked him out of a lineup). But Pacheco has played a lot this March for the Reds, and he's played well, slashing .293/.383/.561 in 47 PA for the Spring Reds.

Most importantly for Pacheco, he plays several positions. He was once a prospect at catcher, though he sought time elsewhere after scouting reports weren't particularly glowing about his play behind the plate.

Teams have never given up on him playing behind catcher, and that's probably best for Pacheco's plans with the Reds. With the news breaking yesterday that the Reds had placed their 2015 Rule 5 draftee, Jake Cave, on waivers, it appears that Pacheco has made this bench, barring anything else unforeseen. And it's almost primarily because Pacheco is able to play multiple positions, including emergency catcher.

Or, maybe the Reds just like him more than everyone else? Other than his solid play this spring and the fact that he can play catcher (don't mistake that for he should play catcher), the Reds decision to keep him on the Opening Day roster is a bit puzzling, especially when the move is made by releasing a 23 year old who can also play multiple positions (just, you know, not catcher).

Pacheco is now five years into his major league playing career, and several years from his last significant playing time and also several years removed from resembling competency. In 2012, the then-26 year-old rookie got 505 PAs with Colorado (mostly from the 5 position), and posted a respectful .309/.341/.421 line, with the obvious caveat that he spent the vast majority of his time in the altitude at Coors.

His performance has cratered since, bottoming out just that next year with an abysmal OPS+ of 52 in 262 PAs. Not even the thin air was enough to keep his line afloat once the book got out. He played better last year in the dry, desert air, and that .333 OBP that he posted for the Diamondbacks in 2015 would look decent as a regular staple in the Reds lineup.

However, that .333 OBP was also posted in the year in which he got the least amount of major league ABs since he came up in 2011. Maybe the decent stint from 2015 and the hot spring of 2016 indicates that he's found something since turning 30 years old. But, I wouldn't count on it.

The Reds will, apparently. For a while, anyway.