WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2005
A-:  273/400/364, 11 AB, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 K
A:  319/386/522, 113 AB, 5 2B, 6 HR, 12 BB, 25 K, 1-3 SB

After signing, Clement spent about a month in low A after a brief tuneup in short season ball.  He hit well, as would be expected.

2006
AA:  288/386/525, 59 AB, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 8 K
AAA:  257/321/347, 245 AB, 10 2B, 4 HR, 16 BB, 53 K, 0-2 SB

After 15 games in AA, during which he had a .911 OPS, the Mariners promoted Clement to AAA.  He struggled there in 67 games, as his season was interrupted by knee surgery and by another operation to remove bone chips from his elbow.  He started to show signs of plate discipline issues.

2007
AAA:  275/370/497, 455 AB, 35 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 61 BB, 88 K
MLB:  375/474/813, 16 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 3 K

Clement returned to AAA and had a good season, showing good strike zone judgment.  Although this came in the strongly offense-oriented Pacific Coast League, the Mariners’ affiliate, Tacoma, at least did not play in a hitters’ park.  Clement played briefly in the majors at the end of the year.  Doubts about his ability to stay at catcher grew in 2007-08, partly due to his knee problems and partly due to subpar defense.  He wasn’t terrible at throwing, although he wasn’t good, either with a 27% CS% in 2007 and 22% in 2008.

2008
AAA:  335/455/676, 173 AB, 17 2B, 14 HR, 35 BB, 30 K
MLB:  227/295/360, 203 AB, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 15 BB, 63 K, 0-1 SB

Clement split the year between AAA and the majors.  He tore up the PCL, with 14 HRs in just 48 games.  In the majors, though, he struggled, with a 4:1 K:BB ratio, and scouts began to question whether he’d ever hit big league pitching.  One interesting theory that attempted to explain both scouts’ apparent disdain for Clement and his strong numbers in AAA was expounded late in the 2007 season.  The theory was that he’d lost bat speed and could only hit LHPs, who in AAA are predominantly soft tossers.  Clement did, in fact, have an OPS that was nearly 200 points higher against LHPs than RHPs in 2007.  The theory fell apart, however, when Clement posted a higher OPS in AAA against RHPs in both 2008 and 2009.

2009
AAA (Sea):  288/366/505, 372 AB, 33 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 43 BB, 81 K, 1-1 SB
AAA (Pgh):  224/313/459, 98 AB, 2 2B, 7 HR, 12 BB, 27 K, 1-2 SB

Before the trade, Clement spent all his time in AAA, serving mainly as a DH.  Seattle by then had signed Kenji Johjima to an ill-advised long-term contract, blocking Clement.  He hit well, although he struggled badly with LHPs.  After the trade, the Pirates sent him to Indianapolis to get more time at first, where he’d played only six games prior to the trade.  He’d been hot when he first arrived at Indianapolis, but slumped badly after the injury and finished with a .772 OPS at Indy.

2010
AAA:  304/337/548, 168 AB, 15 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 9 BB, 48 K, 1-5 SB
MLB:  201/237/368, 203 AB, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 15 BB, 63 K, 0-1 SB

Clement worked out intensively at first in spring training and got off to a slow start offensively in the exhibitions.  There was enormous apprehension among Pirate fans that Clement’s defense would be a disaster, evidently because many Pirate fans consider first to be much tougher than catcher.  As it turned out, Clement played very respectably in the field.  In fact, he was above average according to UZR and +/-, although the sample size is very small.  Ironically, though, he didn’t hit.  It was obvious when he managed to make contact that he has prodigious power, but he struggled with the strike zone.  The Pirates sent him to AAA at the beginning of June and he hit very well there for the better part of two months.  Ominously, though, his walk and K numbers were bad.  The Pirates called him back up at the end of July after ridding themselves of Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church.  He started off well, going 5-for-17 with two HRs, but started having trouble with his left knee.  The Pirates shut him down for good in late August and he had surgery a few weeks later.  The Pirates removed him from the roster in November, he cleared waivers, and they outrighted him to Indianapolis.

2011
R:  257/308/371, 35 AB, 4 2B, 3 BB, 7 K
AAA:  271/358/407, 59 AB, 5 2B, 1 HR, 7 BB, 15 K

The Pirates expected Clement to be ready at some point during spring training, but he wasn’t ready to play until the end of July.  After a rehab assignment in the GCL, he moved up to AAA and played semi-regularly, alternating between first and DH.  He posted a .765 OPS.

Clement became a free agent after the 2011 season but re-signed with the Pirates.  He’s expected to share 1B and DH duties with Matt Hague, although he could get added time at first if the Pirates try to get Hague time at third or in the outfield.