Sean Rodriguez to Pirates: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Seeking infield depth for next season, the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed versatile utility man Sean Rodriguez to a one-year contract. 

The Pirates announced Rodriguez's signing on their official Twitter account Thursday. 

Rodriguez spent last season with the Pirates, appearing in 139 games and hitting .246/.281/.362 with four home runs. 

The 30-year-old is a valuable asset for a small-market franchise like Pittsburgh because of his ability to play multiple positions. Last year, for example, he spent time at first base, second base, third base, right field and left field. 

The Pirates have already made a substantial change to their infield, trading second baseman Neil Walker to the New York Mets for Jon Niese, causing a ripple effect, with Josh Harrison moving to the keystone and Jung Ho Kang being the starting third baseman when he returns from knee surgery. 

Kang's timetable to return is six to eight months, making spring training an optimistic scenario. Rodriguez may be tasked with handling third base when 2016 starts if Kang is unable to hit his earliest projections. 

Even though Rodriguez's bat doesn't pack a lot of punch, he is a valuable defensive player. FanGraphs credited him with four defensive runs saved combined at all of the positions he played. 

The Pirates don't need Rodriguez to be a key component in 2016 because they already have Harrison, Kang, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco in the lineup. 

As long as he continues to play solid defense wherever Pirates manager Clint Hurdle plays him while contributing an occasional extra-base hit, he will be exactly what the team needs to make another postseason appearance in 2016.