While the Pirates are on the verge of slipping out of the race
for the division title and falling out of the second Wild Card
spot, Pedro Alvarez's days in Pittsburgh could be coming to an
end.   Alvarez has 21 home runs and he knocked in 60. Pretty
good numbers, right? Not when you look at the whole package. The
majority of those numbers have come during streaks. While all
players have hot streaks, Alvarez has two or three a year and
accumulates the majority of those home runs and RBI during that
time.  The only consistency we have seen from Alvarez is how
overmatched he appears at the plate. He seems to guess wrong
almost every pitch. He swings at balls and takes strikes. To say
he is lost at the plate is not an overstatement. I can honestly
say that I can't recall a player in a starting lineup who hurts
his team as much as Alvarez does. This may seem unfair and
harsh, but I am being honest. If Alvarez performed this way in a
major market, he would already be in the minor leagues or
watching from the dugout