There was a time the Pittsburgh Pirates could boast a trio of starting outfielders almost any team in the majors would covet.
But with the start of the 2021 season days away, Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte are on the rosters of National League East clubs. The Pirates only wish they could have found a team in that division — or any other — to take Gregory Polanco off their hands. But players with $11.6 million salaries who have had 13 home runs and a .197/.257/.374 slash line over the past two seasons aren’t exactly hot commodities.
As much by default as the tantalizing potential he still teases, Polanco will be the Pirates’ Opening Day right fielder. That’s a job he has held (when healthy) since a much-ballyhooed MLB debut in June 2014. But his days with the Pirates appear numbered — one way or another.
If Polanco’s production doesn’t improve, his 2022 option won’t be picked up. And if Polanco has a breakout season, he almost assuredly will be traded.
“Right now, I’m just focused on baseball,” said Polanco, the last link to the team’s three playoff appearances in the 2010s. “Just see the ball, be early, all that stuff, catch the ball. I’m not thinking about injury, nothing like that. Just like worried about playing baseball, and I’m healthy
“I’m just enjoying every moment, not taking anything for granted and having fun.”
Things appear a lot more fun for the Pirates’ starting left fielder after a mostly-dreadful 2020. Bryan Reynolds’ sophomore slump saw his batting splits plummet from .314/.377/.503 as a 2019 National League Rookie of the Year candidate to .189/.275/.357 last season.
The blame has been attributed to the peculiarities of the coronavirus-affected season, and Reynolds deserves some benefit of the doubt after hitting over .300 at every level until last year. Reynolds’ 2021 Grapefruit League stats — .318/.400/.545, three home runs in 44 at bats – support the notion 2020 was the aberration.
“I think mechanically he’s in a more consistent spot than he was throughout the year last year,” manager Derek Shelton said.
Reynolds played 17 games in center field last season but probably is better suited for left. That left center to be filled by Anthony Alford. If nothing else, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Alford — once rated among MLB’s top 100 prospects — figures to be fun to watch. A former SEC football player and Division I starting quarterback, Alford might be one of the best all-around athletes in the majors.
But he has hit only .169/.216/.313 in 88 MLB plate appearances, and his slash line over 493 minor league games (.265/.358/.393) isn’t eye-popping. There’s a reason the Toronto Blue Jays designated him for assignment last August.
Still, Alford is only 26. And he has impressed the Pirates over five regular-season games last season and 13 Grapefruit League games this spring. He was the clear winner in the center field competition.
As the Pirates’ Opening Day roster began to crystallize Monday, it appeared Dustin Fowler would be the only true backup outfielder. Another former highly regarded prospect of the Athletics and Yankees organizations, Fowler, 26, was acquired by the Pirates in a trade last month.
With the Pirates going with 12 position players, other reserve outfield duties could be shared by purported infielders such as Phillip Evans and Adam Frazier.
“We have guys that can bounce out there and do that, and it does make (versatility) important,” Shelton said. “And … the fact that we’re playing (without a designated hitter) this year is one of the reasons being versatile is extremely important to us.”
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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Pirates/MLB | Sports
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