Clement will get what could be his last shot at becoming a major league regular in February when he reports to the Pirates' spring training camp as the nominal favorite to be the opening-day first baseman. Clement was the centerpiece of the five-player package the Pirates received from Seattle in a July 29 trade for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell, and Pittsburgh immediately began converting him into a first baseman at Class AAA Indianapolis.
"I think what baseball, and really all sports, are about is getting the most that you can out of your ability," Clement said. "I haven't done that yet, and it's disappointing to me. I know I'm a better player than what I've shown."
Clement is 26, and the superstardom that was predicted for him has been elusive. He has played in just 75 major league games, including none this year, and hit .237 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs.
Clement batted .224 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 27 games with Class AAA Indianapolis after the trade. The plan was for Clement to join the Pirates in September and play regularly at first base, but that was scuttled when he suffered a strained muscle in his rib cage.
"The timing of the injury was very unfortunate," Clement said. "I was looking forward to making a good first impression. Now, I can't wait to get to spring training to begin making that impression."
The Pirates believe they can unlock Clement's potential. The Mariners, though, gave up on the idea of Clement being their catcher of the future last season, as he spent the year at Class AAA Tacoma before being traded. Rookie Rob Johnson unseated Kenji Johjima as Seattle's starting catcher.
NOTES, QUOTES
--RHP Craig Hansen is finally starting to recover from a nerve problem in his neck that did not allow him to pitch after April 19 last season. The nerve is beginning to generate to where he is slowly regaining strength in his neck. While Hansen is not expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training, he should be able to pitch at some point next season after doctors feared he might be forced to retire.
--RHP Jose Ascanio's rehabilitation from October shoulder surgery is going as planned, and he continues to be on target to return in June. Ascanio was acquired from the Cubs on July 30 but was forced to the disabled list after making one start for Class AAA Indianapolis and two relief appearances for the Pirates.
--LHP Zach Duke, RHP Matt Capps, RHP Jeff Karstens and SS Ronny Cedeno are all eligible for salary arbitration, and the Pirates plan to tender all four contracts. Capps had a $2,425,000 salary last season, while Duke's was $2.2 million, Cedeno's was $822,500 and Karstens' was $401,500.
--CF Andrew McCutchen finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Florida's Chris Coghlan, Philadelphia's J.A. Happ and Atlanta's Tommy Hanson. McCutchen received two first-place votes and five seconds in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. 1B/OF Garrett Jones came in seventh, as he got two third-place votes.
--Steve Williams was hired as a major league scout after spending the last three seasons as Kansas City's assistant scouting director. Williams, 45, spent 10 years in the Royals organization. He has been in scouting since 1988, as he has also worked for Minnesota and Toronto.
BY THE NUMBERS: 2.14 -- LHP Donnie Veal's ERA for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, as he had allowed five earned runs in 21 innings. He had a 7.16 ERA in 19 relief appearances for the Pirates last season as a rookie after being selected from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel." -- RHP Craig Hansen, on getting news from the doctors that a nerve in his neck is starting to regenerate. The rare condition caused Hansen to miss the last five months of the 2009 season.