Pittsburgh Pirates: Options for Center Field Moving Forward
By Marty Leap
Shuffling Players Around
This hinges largely on Ke’Bryan Hayes getting healthy and getting back in the Pirate lineup. When that happens they will have to make a decision on how to keep the red hot Phillip Evans in the lineup every day.
One way to keep Evans in the lineup would be to move Bryan Reynolds from left field to center field. By doing this they can then start Evans in left field, while Hayes returns to his spot at the hot corner.
While an outfield with Evans in left field and Reynolds in center field may be a poor defensive one, it would give the Pirates their best offensive lineup. Another factor here is what Gregory Polanco does. After a slow start, Polanco now owns a 20.5% walk rate and 100 wRC+. In Wednesday night’s victory he looked the best he has all season at the plate going 2-for-2 with a home run and a pair of walks.
If Polanco is hitting he will play. Period. If not, Evans could then go to right field, leaving Reynolds in left field and keeping center field a big question mark.
Regardless of what they do, the Pittsburgh Pirates need to figure something out for center field. The production they are currently getting from Alford and Fowler is not good enough. If neither of them being to produce they will need to go in another direction until center fielder of the future Travis Swaggerty is MLB ready, which could be as soon as this August or September.