WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2000
R+:  204/306/244, 201 AB, 5 2B, 1 HR, 27 BB, 35 K, 19-23 SB
A-:  316/350/421, 19 AB, 2 2B, 1 BB, 3 K

Luna debuted in advanced rookie ball and didn’t hit much, although he did show some speed.  At this point he was strictly a shortstop.

2001
A:  266/339/361, 241 AB, 8 2B, 3 HR, 3 HR, 23 BB, 48 K, 15-19 SB

Spending half the season in low A, Luna improved his hitting some.

2002
A+:  276/334/404, 468 AB, 15 2B, 6 3B, 11 HR, 39 BB, 79 K, 32-43 SB

Luna hit well for a shortstop in high A, with moderate power.  He also stole a lot of bases.  The Indians did not put him on their 40-man roster and the Devil Rays selected him in the Rule 5 draft.  He didn’t make their roster out of spring training, though, and they returned him to the Indians.

2003
AA:  297/368/359, 462 AB, 19 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 48 BB, 64 K, 17-22 SB

Luna hit for average and got on base well in high AA, but the power he’d shown the previous year disappeared.  The Indians again didn’t protect him from the Rule 5 draft and the Cardinals selected him.

2004
MLB: 249/304/364, 173 AB, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 13 BB, 37 K, 6-9 SB

The Cards kept Luna in the majors all year as a utility player.  He saw time at second, third, short and in the outfield, and hit respectably despite not having played higher than AA in the minors.

2005
AAA:  224/294/332, 223 AB, 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 BB, 38 K, 11-15 SB
MLB:  285/344/409, 137 AB, 10 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 25 K, 10-12 SB

Luna opened the season in St. Louis, but the Cards sent him to AAA at the end of April and he played mostly second there until late June, when he returned to his utility role with the Cards.  He didn’t hit much at all in AAA, but hit well after the Cards brought him back to the majors.

2006
MLB (StL):  291/355/417, 223 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 21 BB, 34 K, 5-8 SB
MLB (Cleve): 276/306/394, 127 AB, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 26 K, 0-1 SB

Luna spent the first four months of the season with St. Louis and got semi-regular playing time.  About half his appearances came at second, but he also played third, short, first and left.  He hit well, with decent power and very good plate discipline.  He didn’t hit quite as well with the Indians after a late July trade, mainly because his plate discipline went south.  He played mostly second with Cleveland but also saw time at short.

2007
AAA (Cleve):  251/297/362, 323 AB, 18 2B, 6 HR, 21 BB, 48 K, 4-8 SB
AAA (Tor):  343/443/567, 67 AB, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 BB, 14 K
MLB (Tor):  167/217/238, 42 AB, 1 HR, 2 BB, 10 K, 2-2 SB 

Cleveland sent Luna to AAA to start the season.  He played primarily short and didn’t hit much.  The Indians designated him for assignment in late July and Toronto claimed him.  He alternated between AAA and the majors in August, then spent the last three weeks of the season with the Jays.

2008
AAA:  280/333/417, 429 AB, 24 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 30 BB, 73 K, 6-8 SB
MLB:  1000/1000/1000, 1 AB, 0-1 SB

Toronto sent Luna to AAA for nearly the entire season.  They called him up for two games in May, then outrighted him off the 40-man roster.  In AAA, he played mainly third, with some time at short and first.  He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Dodgers.

2009
R:  250/455/375, 8 AB, 1 2B, 2 BB
AAA:  351/414/610, 313 AB, 18 2B, 6 3B, 17 HR, 28 BB, 52 K, 4-6 SB 

Luna spent his time with the Dodgers in the minors, except for some time he missed due to injury.  He made the transition to the infield corners, dividing nearly all his time between first and third.  He put up big hitting numbers in the favorable environment of Albuquerque.  After the season he signed with the Marlins.

2010
AAA:  294/367/477, 354 AB, 17 2B, 16 HR, 42 BB, 64 K, 7-8 SB
MLB:  138/133/379, 29 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 13 K, 0-1 SB

Luna played mainly third with the Marlins in AAA.  He put up more realistic numbers in New Orleans, but showed the increase in power was real.  The Marlins called him up at the end of July and he served mainly as a pinch hitter the rest of the season, without hitting much at all.  Florida removed him from the roster after the season and he became a free agent.

2011
AAA:  283/350/449, 441 AB, 22 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 42 BB, 67 K, 6-7 SB

After signing with Boston, Luna spent the year in AAA.  He played mainly third and had a solid year offensively.

2012
AAA (Phi):  282/329/450, 220 AB, 12 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 15 BB, 40 K, 2-2 SB
AAA (Pgh):  500/529/750, 16 AB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K
MLB (Phi):  226/273/355, 62 AB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 14 K

Luna signed with the Phillies and opened the season in AAA, where he played mainly third, but he got called up in mid-May when the Phillies were swamped with injuries.  Surprisingly, he had an option left and the Phillies optioned him back to AAA at the beginning of July.  They brought him back up briefly in mid-August, then sent him back to AAA and released him at the end of August.  The Pirates signed him at the end of the AAA season to provide some help in the playoffs.  The signing allowed them to promote some players to the majors when rosters expanded.

Luna’s stay in the Pirates’ system will probably end up being limited to four regular season and four playoff games.  He’ll be a free agent again in the off-season.