2005

So a big sigh of relief, he's no longer the big contract Littlefield inherited, and Kendall can get on with playing somewhere consequential in the standings. With Oakland, it won't matter if he bats first or second; neither he nor Kotsay run enough to create distractions for the other, so Ken Macha can play platoon percentages or fuss about having Kotsay having the 'hole' to take advantage of with Kendall on base. He should profit from seeing his catching workload decrease to 120 games behind the plate while soaking up some DH at-bats, which might prolong his career to the point where he'll be a serious Hall of Fame candidate.

2003

Kendall’s offensive drop-off is alarming. He’s stopped taking walks, he no longer hits for power, and he doesn’t run as well as he did before his ankle injury despite being a top-of-the-order hitter. Obviously, his career is in crisis in tandem with the Pirates’ budget: it’s not Kendall’s defense that has kept him in the majors, and the Bucs would love to unload his $10 million/ year contract. That’ll be tough, with both his ironclad no-trade clause and struggles to get on base and hit the ball with authority clouding the picture. Lloyd McClendon is planning on using Kendall as a leadoff hitter in 2003; maybe that will force him to start taking some pitches again.

2002

Kendall played the whole year with a bum thumb (not the same as having your thumb up your bum) and easily had his worst year in the majors. He had surgery to correct the problem in October and should be fine for spring training. This was his age 27 year, so don’t be surprised if he rebounds and has a performance spike all at once. The left-field experiment is over.

2001

He’s doomed to second-string All-Star status as long as Mike Piazza is behind the plate, but Jason Kendall has firmly landed himself on the list of the best players in baseball and is just entering his power peak. Signing him for $60 million over six years was an excellent decision. Considering where the market went after he signed, Kendall might be a bargain at $10 million per year.

2000

Kendall was on pace for a career year in all categories when his foot fell off in a freak play in early July. He took the brace off in mid-September and is expected to be at full strength by the start of spring training, but his days as a prolific and high-percentage basestealer may be over.

1999

The best story on the Pirates. Kendall took huge steps forward at the plate, on the bases, in the field, and in the clubhouse, becoming the team's unquestioned leader and occasional mouthpiece. He's a player you lock up long-term and build around, and the Pirates are trying to do just that.

1998

More power, more walks and a much better year behind the plate. The Pirates have only signed one young player to a long-term contract so far, and they picked a great one.

1997

He managed a rare feat for the Pirates: retaining the offensive performance he showed in the minors. His 1996 was a carbon copy of 1995. He showed steady improvement through the minors, and I’d expect him to resume an upward climb towards .300. His defense was puzzling: he was among the best at stopping baserunners at Carolina in ’95, but surrendered more stolen bases than any catcher but Piazza while committing 18 errors. He’s tough to strike out and easy to hit, with a 76-to-44 strikeout to HBP ratio over the last three years.

1996

Probably the best prospect in the organization. Catcher, still young, doing all the right things, and getting a bit better at everything each year. Probably needs a little over a year in AAA, or perhaps a September callup. Will be a very good one, I think. Probably will not retain all of the gains he made with the bat in 1995, but won't slip very much, and that's still a darn good trend. Probably the only Pirate hitting prospect with any star potential, really.