Pittsburgh Pirates Extend Josh Harrison's Contract: Is Neil Walker Next?

The Pittsburgh Pirates received a huge boost to their lineup last season when Josh Harrison replaced the struggling Pedro Alvarez at third base.  

Harrison played in a career-high 143 games in 2014, finishing ninth in the National League Most Valuable Player voting after batting .315 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI.  He was also named to his first All-Star team last season.  

After permanently moving Alvarez to first base during the offseason to make room for Harrison every day at the hot corner, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates have signed Harrison to a four-year deal worth $27.3 million in base salary.  It could be worth up to $50 million if all team options are exercised.  

The move comes just two days after Harrison opened up his season by going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Pirates' Opening Day loss to the Cincinnati Reds.  

Harrison is as versatile of a player as they come, having played every position on the field other than first base and catcher during his career.  

Still only 27 years old, the new deal means Harrison will remain in Pittsburgh during his prime seasons.  It is just another step general manager Neal Huntington has made in his effort to solidify Pittsburgh's lineup with cornerstone franchise players.  

The new deal also means that the Pirates now have three crucial offensive players under contract for years to come: Harrison, Andrew McCutchen (whose contract expires in 2019) and Starling Marte (2022). 

But what about a guy who is just as important to Pittsburgh's offensive production?  

Second baseman Neil Walker has become a staple in the Pirates lineup.  The Pittsburgh native has entered his seventh major league season and is coming off a 2014 season in which he won a Silver Slugger Award by batting .271 with a career-high 23 home runs and an on-base percentage of .342.

The 29-year-old's contract is set to expire after this season, when he will become eligible for arbitration. He will become a free agent in 2017, but allowing Walker to even get to arbitration would not be wise.  

Granted, Walker has not played in at least 150 games since 2011, when he batted .273 in 159 games for the Pirates.  However, his numbers have increased steadily over the last two seasons while his strikeout totals have decreased.

Do not let Walker's two strikeouts on Opening Day fool you.  In 2,524 career at-bats, Walker has struck out jut 485 times, which is low for a cleanup hitter with power.     

Walker is so important to the Pirates because he provides protection as the cleanup hitter for No. 3 hitter McCutchen while also getting on base and allowing Marte or Alvarez to drive him home.

It would not be surprising to see the Pirates offer Walker an extension sometime during this season, as it is well deserved and would pay dividends for Pittsburgh in the long run.  

With Harrison locked up at third base and Korean star Jung Ho Kang on the rise and possibly prepared to take over the shortstop position in 2016 if Jordy Mercer does not improve, that means the Pirates will have two key infielders locked up for the next four seasons.  

Now imagine that infield with Walker locked in as Pittsburgh's second baseman along with a possible contract extension for Alvarez at first or first base prospect Andrew Lambo.  

The Pirates have managed contracts very well over the last few seasons, which has led to the team's recent success.  If I were in Huntington's shoes, I would not want Walker to be an exception.  

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.