Who Would Be the First Outfielder Called From The Alternate Training Site?

As the Pittsburgh Pirates alternate training site roles into its second week, there is a bounty of talent on reserve for the Pirates. Today, we look at who might be the first outfielder recalled should the need arise for the team.

The Pittsburgh Pirates alternate training site is in their second full week of work, as they prepare for not only the Minor League season, but a possible shot at the Major Leagues. Everyone currently at the alternate training site is just one injury or ineffective performance away from getting their shot to show what they can do at the Big League level. With the Pirates currently in a rebuild, they will take a look at everyone and anyone to see what this team has for the future. Right now, the Pirates have four outfielders on their current active roster, and it has been a struggle early in the season. Aside from Bryan Reynolds, there really hasn't been much offensive production from the other two outfield positions in the early going.

If the ineffectiveness from the Pirate's outfielders continues, there is a good chance we see the Pirates dip into their reserves. The four outfielders currently at the alternate training site are Brian Goodwin, Chris Sharpe, Troy Stokes Jr., and Travis Swaggerty. In addition, the Pirates already have Jared Oliva on their 40-man roster and he is currently serving on the taxi squad. This gives the Pirates a lot of different directions to go should they need to throughout the season. If guys like Anthony Alford or Dustin Fowler don't work out, these guys are players who could come in and earn jobs now and for the future. Today, we look at some of the Pirate's outfield depth options, and what they bring to the table should the Pirates need them.

Brian Goodwin

Late in the off-season, General Manager Ben Cherington was looking to bring in some veteran pieces to supplement the team's young talent. One of those pieces was centerfielder Brian Goodwin, who spent 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds. Goodwin is a guy who has shown some power throughout his career but was coming off a down year during the 2020 season. He came into Spring Training with the Pirates hoping to earn a starting spot in the lineup, and at times he performed well. He ended Spring hitting .229 with one home run and six RBI, but struck out 13 times. Four of his six RBI came in one at-bat when he hit a grand slam against the New York Yankees. However, he fell victim to the options game and was sent to the alternate training site because both Alford and Fowler were out of options.

Goodwin could have opted out of his contract, but instead, he decided to stick it out with the Pirates in hopes of making the Big League roster. His last successful season came in 2019 when he played in 136 games and hit .262 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI. He has the ability to hit the ball out of the yard and being a left-handed hitter, PNC Park may help play into that power. However, with Goodwin not currently being on the 40-man roster, there would have to be a corresponding move made to make room for him. He is a good veteran presence to have on a team, but Goodwin is going to have to show that his skills can play on the field if he wants to make it to Pittsburgh this season.

Jared Oliva

The only player on this list with any games played in a Pirates uniform is 25-year-old outfielder Jared Oliva. Oliva was up for the final week of the regular season last year and ended up hitting .188 with a stolen base over his first 16 career at-bats. Oliva switched back and forth between center field and left field last season, showing that he had the speed to cover ground at both positions. However, his timing was off and he wasn't able to keep up with the speed of Major League pitching. He was hoping to turn things around this Spring, but instead, he struggled hitting just .120 with a home run and four RBI. Instead of helping his cause, he ended up hurting it and got moved to the Taxi Squad.

The biggest tool that Oliva has over the current outfielders on the roster is his speed. He has stolen 30 or more bases in back-to-back seasons and has shown the speed to cover the vast outfield that is PNC Park. In his short MLB debut, he was able to make all the plays and showed a decent arm, not committing an error over his six games played. In the off-season, Oliva continued his work being one of several top prospects from around the game to compete in the Rookie Development program. It is a program designed to help players as they begin the transition from top prospects to Major League stars. For Oliva, he is hoping to earn a full-time spot with the Pirates and take advantage of opportunities when they come his way.

Troy Stokes Jr.

One of the biggest surprises of Spring Training 2021, was the emergence of outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. Stokes came to the Pirates when the team claimed him off waivers, and then was DFA'd again by the Pirates. However, this time he was able to clear waivers and the Pirates would go on to invite him to Spring Training. He took advantage of his second life with the Pirates and showed nice pop from the right side of the plate. He finished Spring in a bit of a slump, going 1-13 in his final six games, but he still managed to finish the spring hitting .212 with two home runs and five RBI. However, with that power came the usual strikeouts as Stokes went down 12 times in 16 games played.

2020 might have been Stokes's year to make his MLB debut, but a fractured right hand would force him to miss the entire season. Now, he is fully healthy and is looking to finally crack through to the Big Leagues at 24-years-old. The Pirates are Stokes's third organization and he is hoping to finally find the right fit. After starting his career as mostly a contact hitter, Stoles really buckled down and found his power stroke in 2017. He hit double-digit home runs in 2017 and 2018 but has been dealing with injury troubles since the 2019 season. Now that he is fully healthy, he is hoping his power will show through and the Pirates will give him a shot. He showed good defensive skills at all three outfield positions, and if he can cut down on the strikeouts he could be a big bat for the Pirates.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (3-6) kick-off a four-game series with the San Diego Padres (7-3) tonight at 6:35 pm. Trevor Cahill (0-1, 15.75) looks for a rebound in his second start of the season as he takes on Yu Darvish (0-0, 4.22) for the Padres. You can watch the game on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow us on Twitter at @Buccos_Cove.

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