The Pirates have signed John Jaso to a two-year deal. The left-handed hitting Jaso has played almost exclusively behind the plate in his major league career, but the Pirates announced him as a first baseman and outfielder. Their obvious intention is to use him to fill their need for a left-handed hitter at first base to complement the right-handed hitting Mike Morse and Jason Rogers.
Jaso fits the Pirates' preference for a solid hitter with contact and on-base skills, rather than a swing-and-miss power hitter. His career line is 263/361/406, with a K rate only sightly higher than his walk rate.