Jaso Excited For Fresh Start With Pirates
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) - When speaking to new Pirates first baseman John Jaso, you immediately can feel the energy and passion that he has for the game of baseball, and already, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Signed to a two-year, $8 million contract this winter, the 32-year-old Jaso was, "immediately excited," when his agent told him that the Pirates were interested in his services.
What excited Jaso even more was the prospect of being a regular in the field. A catcher by trade, the Pirates will move Jaso to first base. Jaso has played just five innings in his career at the position and has been working tirelessly to make sure he's ready by Opening Day.
Former Pirates first baseman Kevin Young began working with Jaso in mid-January. Jaso mentioned since he lives in St. Petersburg Beach, which is just a short drive to the Pirate City complex in Bradenton, it has allowed for a large volume of work to-date.
"They've worked out a great plan for me," said Jaso. "I don't want to let them or myself down by not putting in the work," he said.
Since Jaso began working, the intensity has ramped up. He jokingly mentioned that while there are plenty of nuances to learn about the position, "nothing is harder than catching." The biggest transition, he believes, will be judging whether or not to "stay home" or go for a ball hit to his right, which the second baseman may or may not be able to get to depending on positioning.
Make no mistake, while the Pirates are confident he can be an adequate defender in the field, the team acquired Jaso for his steady presence in the lineup. Jaso touts a career .263 batting average. However, even more intriguing to the Pirates is his career .361 on-base percentage and .767 OPS.
Jaso spoke about how he's garnered incredibly plate discipline over the course of his career, and much more with Pirates pre-game and post-game show host Dan Zangrilli in the interview below:
You can follow Dan on twitter @DanZangrilli