Kipper : Can Francisco Cervelli Getting In Shape Help His Injury Issues?

I've been following Francisco Cervelli on Twitter and Instagram and it's really stuck out how much work he's putting into his offseason training program. Is he doing more than in past years? I'm not sure, but he appears to be putting in the work this off-season which is always good to see..
For Francisco Cervelli it's GREAT to see, and for multiple reasons.
The first reason is that he's not exactly in great shape for an athlete expected to play 110-130 games a year. He isn't very muscular and not very cut. Comparing him with Russel Martin it is night and day, but he has great hair according to the Fan Girls.
Physically he reminds me of another Pirates player (former player) who earned the social media nickname "Moobs" for his physique - Neil Walker.
As Cervelli turns 30 to start the season, it is beyond time to start thinking about the body. He's heading into the latter part of his prime years and he's hitting an age that requires one to start taking care of their body more. After what appears to be neglect in the weight-room, it is great to see Cervelli hitting it hard this off-season.
The second reason is that it is a contract year for him. It is debatable whether the Pittsburgh Pirates should sign him to the 3 years $39 million proposal that he's asking for. He has just 1 full season under his belt at the MLB level that he has played in more than 100 games. He's got Hand, Concussion and Hamstring injuries from the past. Can he stay healthy enough to earn that contract or does he need to prove in 2016, that he is worth that money first? The Pirates don't exactly have $13 per year to burn on an injured player. Getting into good shape and staying healthy is a must for Cervelli if he wants that contact.
It is also debatable if an unproven player entering his 30's with a history of injuries is worth $3 million per year less than what Russell Martin signed for. It won't be debatable if he can't stay healthy.
The benefit to extending Cervelli now is that barring some injury to highly regarded prospect, Elias Diaz, Cervelli won't be a Pittsburgh Pirate in 2017. He shouldn't be. Elias Diaz is our current future at Catcher and you don't block a 25/26 year old catcher for a player that will be 31 for the 2017 season... Unless you're David Littlefield, but those days are long gone and we're producing winning seasons by making smart baseball decisions. However, if Cervelli stays healthy and has a good season, he will command some noise in the Off-Season trade market. 2 years worth of control, can buy you a good prospect or 2. It might be worth the investment.
Oh, but the "Fan Girls" will cry when the Pirates trade him in the Off-Season. When you sign a guy to a multi-year extension, you usually expect them to be here for the duration of that contract, not have them be traded. There will be a revolt on the North Shore by the fan girls losing their crush like we haven't seen in Bucco Nation. The last Fan Girl crush that was here was Garrett Jones and he thankfully got bad enough by the end that his performance made him unattractive!
The 3rd reason is because his body is now the biggest investment that he can make, no matter what uniform he puts on. He's a good, nice like-able guy. I had the pleasure of interviewing him when he first got here. I'm rooting for his success. It doesn't cost money to get into great shape, it costs time and determination, something that Francisco Cervelli is putting a lot into this offseason.
That's good news for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Francisco Cervelli