PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) — It’s clear that Pirates third baseman might be the most crucial piece to the puzzle this year if they want to be successful.

He’s the power bat they lack and he has the potential to be great. The problem is, fans and media have heard a ton about his potential and seen little results.

Well, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle might know the way to get Alvarez on track. According to a report on the Pirates website, Hurdle is encouraging Alvarez to be aggressive early in his at bats, specifically the first pitch.

When Alvarez swung at the first pitch in his at bats last season he hit .417.

“[Twenty eight] percent of his at-bats started out 0-2. That’s a tough way to make a living for anybody,” Hurdle said. “That’s not a secret to success. He needs to be ready to hit. He’s figured out things on his own. Usually it takes a subpar performance to motivate you to figure it out.”

Click the link above for the full report.

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Bucs links:

• Closer Joel Hanrahan hasn’t let contract talks bother him and is focused on fine-tuning everything this season.
• The Pirates “expect” reliever Evan Meek to return to form in the bullpen this season.

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Chris Gates | Bucs Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com