In the five seasons before the arrival of Gregory Polanco, the Pittsburgh Pirates conducted what amounted to one-year tryouts in right field.
From 2009-2013, management always wanted to find a keeper to insert in front of the Clemente WalL at PNC Park. But Brandon Moss, Lastings Milledge, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata and Travis Snider each played one season in right field, then stepped aside for at least part of the following year for someone who ended up playing the position more frequently.
But Polanco came along in June, 2014, and staked his claim through periods of occasional power, injury, surgery and a batting average that stood at .184 over the past two seasons before he was reportedly put on waivers Sunday night. Even without waivers, the Pirates’ longest-tenured player wasn’t in their plans with a contract that called for $12.5 million if the team picked up his option in 2022.
The Pirates (44-80) start a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at PNC Park. There are 38 games left in the season, and they carry plenty of significance for a variety of reasons.
The Pirates would like to see Polanco’s eventual successor emerge before the end of the season. Typically, however, teams want their corner outfielders to hit with power. Possible replacements Hoy Park, Anthony Alford, Ben Gamel and Wilmer Difo are not power hitters. Gamel’s 29 home runs in six seasons lead the bunch.
Yoshi Tsutsago could supply power — he hit two home runs in his first six games with the Pirates last week — but his experience in right field is limited to 12 games in Japan in 2012.
He was signed by the Pirates last week after the Los Angeles Dodgers released him from their Triple-A team in Oklahoma City to give him a chance for a fresh start.
“We kept watching him,” general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan. “He was a guy we liked in Japan. We have people in our staff who really like the bat. He looked like he was getting into a good rhythm in Triple-A. We felt it was worth taking a shot.”
He batted leadoff and struck out all four times Sunday in St. Louis, and he whiffed 1,096 times in 10 seasons in Japan. But he also slugged 255 home runs there. He’ll get his opportunities with the Pirates.
Alford also will get a chance after he comes off the injured list (lower back strain), possibly as soon as Monday. Alford and Park are hitting .146 and .200 in limited action with the Pirates this season. Difo has 18 home runs in seven major-league seasons.
While looking for a right fielder, the Pirates also could play a part in the National League wild-card race. After taking two of three from the Cardinals, they will play 17 games against the Cincinnati Reds (nine), Philadelphia Phillies (four) and Cardinals (four) — all wild-card contenders — before the end of the season.
“Teams that are in the hunt,” manager Derek Shelton said. “When you play games like that, it’s important. We could help decide some fate there, and we just have to continue to play well.”
Also on the schedule is a possible fourth match-up this weekend with Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who has allowed the Pirates one run in 23 innings this season.
When asked what it will take to solve Wainwright, Shelton said, “If I would have known, we would have done that (Sunday). I think we’re going to get him again next weekend, so we have some days to think about it and talk with our staff.
“Because we need to come up with a way, a solution to break through that. I’m open to ideas if you got any.”
Left unsaid is the need to win 19 of the last 38 games to avoid losing 100. They haven’t reached the century mark in losses since finishing 57-105 in 2010.
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .
"enter" - Google News
August 23, 2021 at 05:01PM
https://ift.tt/3sF2FC2
Pirates enter final 38 games looking for a right fielder - TribLIVE
"enter" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2TwxTMf
https://ift.tt/3d6LMHD
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Pirates enter final 38 games looking for a right fielder - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment