FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As Nick Yorke packed his travel bin at LECOM Park Friday afternoon, there¡¯s no guarantee yet where the contents of his locker will be going. They could be off to Miami with the Major League team for Opening Day Thursday, or it could be headed towards Triple-A Indianapolis.
An answer will be known in the coming days. If Yorke does get the good outcome for his Spring Training work, being able to pick up first base quickly in camp will surely be a contributing factor why.
¡°There was a little adjustment period in the beginning, but I¡¯m starting to get used to the glove over there,¡± Yorke said. ¡°But it¡¯s been going good. The transition¡¯s been fun.¡±
First base has been perhaps the biggest question mark this Spring Training after Spencer Horwitz underwent right wrist surgery shortly before camp opened. The Pirates¡¯ biggest trade acquisition this winter is coming along in his rehab, throwing, fielding and hitting soft toss. Still, he will not be part of the team¡¯s Opening Day lineup and will need some game reps before he can join the Major League club.
Without Horwitz, the Pirates have a hole at first base. As the Grapefruit League season nears its end, Derek Shelton can't say with certainty who that Opening Day first baseman will be or if it will be first base by committee until Horwitz returns.
¡°I wish I had a better answer for you with four days left,¡± Shelton said. ¡°I don¡¯t know right now. I would be hard-pressed that you¡¯ll see one person there consistently. Pretty much like Spring Training, I think you¡¯ll probably, possibly see multiple people there.¡±
Since it¡¯s looking like we¡¯ll see multiple first basemen over the opening weeks of the season, let¡¯s round up how everyone in competition for the spot has done to try to glean who could play:
THEY¡¯RE MAKING THE TEAM ANYWAY: Jared Triolo, Adam Frazier
Triolo is the reigning Gold Glove winner for utilitymen, and Adam Frazier was brought back this winter to give the bench a left-handed utility infielder. Triolo is more than qualified to play first. It¡¯s not his natural position, but he¡¯s played it in the past, is a gifted defender and is swinging a better bat as Spring Training has progressed. It¡¯s safe to assume he¡¯ll be in the mix at first.
Frazier could also be in the mix. He¡¯s coming off a down year with the Royals, but a lingering thumb injury could have explained his worst offensive season as a pro. He¡¯s learning first base and when he has to be where, but he¡¯s a natural second baseman and is used to what batted balls to the right side of the infield look like.
¡°Being on the right side, I think that helps,¡± Frazier said earlier this month. ¡°... The right side of the infield spin, a lot of that, it's visuals. It's different when you switch sides.¡±
LEARNING THE POSITION: Nick Yorke, DJ Stewart
Yorke, the team¡¯s No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has slashed .206/.310/.265 in 42 trips to the plate this spring. That¡¯s not good, but his 95.4 mph average exit velocity is the highest on the Pirates this spring (min. 10 results, omitting results from stadiums that don¡¯t track data). The results aren¡¯t there, but he¡¯s walloping the ball and offers some defensive versatility, being able to play every infield spot and the corner outfield.
Stewart can also play the outfield and has slashed a healthy .270/.357/.486 with a homer and five doubles in his 42 trips to the plate. He¡¯s also struck out 14 times, has played more first base this spring than he had in-game in his professional career and will need to be added to the 40-man roster. None of those points are deal-breakers, but they need to be taken into consideration when considering his candidacy.
HAD A ROUGH SPRING: Billy Cook
Cook is still in camp, but he has the worst offensive stats out of anyone still in the running for the job, slashing .160/.364/.280 with nine strikeouts in 33 plate appearances. Defense is his calling card, and the team¡¯s No. 18 prospect has made a couple web gems in the outfield. The question is has he hit enough, or how confident are the Pirates that he can hit Major League pitching now? Cook brings speed and a solid glove, but at first base, you need to hit too.