Chris Bostick thought his future in baseball would be at second base, but he has learned that the road to the major leagues does not always go as planned.
Stuck behind two middle infielders on the Nationals' organizational depth chart, Bostick was told to start getting acclimated to both corner outfield spots late last season.
Adapting was not overwhelming. Bostick had already been traded twice, and was struggling on offense. He fared well in six games in left field, but the short audition was not enough for him to maintain his spot on the 40-man roster. He was designated for assignment last September and acquired by the Pirates — an organization that values versatility — eight days later.
Now, Bostick is batting .290 in 80 games for Triple-A Indianapolis this season, proving to be capable of playing both corner outfield spots and possibly forging a path to the major leagues.
"Anytime you are learning something you have to be patient," Bostick told DKPittsburghSports.com. "You have to understand it’s not all going to come at once."
Before last season, Bostick was ranked the Nationals' No. 25-best prospect, but there was not a clear path to the major leagues. The organization had Wilmer Difo and Adrian Sanchez — two middle infielders who were having more success offensively and were a bit more crisp defensively.
Bostick made a case for himself with a strong start to 2016, batting .290 in 71 games for Double-A Harrisburg with an .818 OPS, six home runs and 33 RBI.
That earned him a promotion to Triple-A, but Bostick's progress stalled when he got there. He hit .203 in 64 games with a .559 OPS, splitting most of his time between second and third base.
The news of the trade did not overwhelm him.
It was the third time he had been dealt since the Athletics drafted him in the 44th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, and it represented a fresh start with an organization he saw as a perfect fit.
"This is the most I’ve seen, but I think a lot of teams are starting to see the importance of having a guy who can do that," Bostick said of the Pirates using players at multiple positions. "I think that’s the way that it is. Managers are resting guys now more than ever."
It has not always been pretty. In a 5-4 loss to Columbus on May 15, Bostick misplayed a routine fly ball in right field, leading to an RBI triple. Yet, he has only been charged with two errors in 48 games while playing both left and right field.
He's committed four errors in 25 games at second base and none in six appearances at third. Playing multiple positions, and trying to do it well, is a craft that takes patience and a bit of creativity, Bostick said.
Before becoming the Pirates' everyday second baseman, Josh Harrison developed a pregame routine to work on each position, a process that took time. Adam Frazier, who has played six positions for the Pirates this season, is attempting to do the same.
It's a battle of time management, knowing how much time to use on each position while still getting enough work in the batting cage or in batting practice.
"He's done a nice job with it so far," Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett said. "There are times he'll make a mistake, but he learns from it. It's not easy for a guy to do that. You have to get him as much work as you can and encourage him to learn the nuances of each position."
Any frustrations Bostick has experienced in the outfield have not affected him at the plate. He's experienced a breakthrough on offense for the Indians, batting .292 with a .797 OPS after eliminating the leg kick in his swing during the offseason.
The 24-year-old has hit seven home runs with 33 RBI and 23 doubles in 80 games. It was enough to earn him a spot on the International League All-Star team, and he made his major league debut with the Pirates on May 8.
It was a short stint — Bostick went 0 for 4 in three games before being sent back to Indianapolis — but it was what he learned before those games that proved to be invaluable.
Bostick spent time with Kimera Bartee, the Pirates' coach who works with outfielders, on how to take proper angles on fly balls and how to properly backpedal toward the wall while maintaining focus on the ball.
He absorbed every word and wanted to apply it to his routine in Triple-A.
"It’s a skill set I need to continue to develop," Bostick said. "Defensive versatility is big because there’s not always spots. Sometimes there’s value in things other than hitting 100 home runs or something like that. That’s part of my game and something I’m trying to work on and get better at."
With Bostick continuing to excel on offense — batting .324 in the 10 games before the All-Star break — he could find his way back in the major leagues sooner rather than later. Infielder Max Moroff is 4 for 48 in 22 games with the Pirates this season.
The other infielder on the Pirates' bench, Phil Gosselin, is batting .135 in the majors this season. Shortstop Gift Ngoepe's average has dipped to .218 since returning to Triple-A last month.
They don't have the ability to play multiple infield positions, plus both corner outfield spots. Bostick is not concerned who may be ahead of him in line to the major leagues. He said his sole focus is showing he can excel wherever Barkett chooses to play him.
"You can’t just bite off a huge piece and chew it all at once; it’s one day at a time," Bostick said. "It’s understanding and being patient with myself. It isn’t easy, but I understand it’s something I have to do."
INDIANAPOLIS UPDATE
The Indians are in first place in the International League's West Division at 50-39, holding a 3 1/2-game lead at the All-Star break.
• Left-handed starting pitcher Steven Brault, who was named an International League All-Star, is now 7-4 with a league-best 2.00 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, 86 strikeouts and 33 walks.
The 25-year-old has not started a game since July 4 against Columbus, when he pitched six innings while allowing one run on three hits. He struck out five and walked three.
• Tyler Glasnow continues to try to work his way back to the Pirates, and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings last Thursday. The right-hander has a 1.84 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 15 walks in five starts since returning to Triple-A.
• Jordan Luplow, a 23-year-old outfielder who was recently promoted from Altoona, is batting .294 with three home runs and eight RBI in nine games with the Indians.
• Edgar Santana, a 25-year-old reliever, was optioned back to Triple-A by the Pirates last Monday to make room for Francisco Cervelli.
Santana had a 5.87 ERA in 7 2/3 innings with the Pirates and vowed to work on his slider and changeup upon returning to Indianapolis. Santana threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings with the Indians last week, striking out five and allowing five hits.
FUTURES REPORT
Starting pitcher Luis Escobar was the Pirates' lone representative in the Futures Game and the 21-year-old right-hander performed well in Miami.
Escobar, who is pitching in a full-season league for the first time in his young career, threw a scoreless fifth inning, walking one but not allowing a hit. Signed as an infielder in July 2013, the native Colombian earned the invitation after showing signs of brilliance with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League.
He has a 6-4 record with a 4.64 ERA in 15 starts for the Power, striking out 100 and walking 33 in 75 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .225 against him and he has a 1.28 WHIP.
The 21-year-old has gained nearly 50 pounds since signing as an international free agent and now stands at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. His fastball reportedly averages 96 mph, and he's still developing a changeup and curveball.
"The command of the fastball with power isn't where we need it to be, the delivery repeatability," Neal Huntington told reporters last month. "But there's a lot of things to like in this young man. We continue to develop the changeup and fastball command, and it's a young man that could find himself as a major league starting pitcher for years."
ALTOONA ALERT
Brandon Cumpton is one step closer to returning to the major leagues after missing all of 2015 and 2016 because of Tommy John surgery.
The right-handed pitcher has made three relief appearances with Altoona, allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings. He made six appearances as a reliever in Bradenton prior to that.
The 28-year-old made his major-league debut in 2013, starting five games for the Pirates that season and 10 more in 2014, carrying a 4.02 ERA and 1.301 WHIP in 15 starts and 22 appearances.
• Shortstop Kevin Newman, a first-round pick in 2015, is batting .357 over his last 10 games, raising his season average to .260.
Newman has four home runs and 26 RBI with a .680 OPS in 75 games.
• The Curve are tied for first place in the Eastern League's Western Division with a 46-41 record at the All-Star break.
BRADENTON BULLETIN
Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller, who made two rehab starts with short-season West Virginia last month after lower-back tightness landed him on the disabled list, has returned to the mound for Bradenton and has allowed four runs in 15 innings.
The 21-year-old had 10 strikeouts over that span and now has a 2.78 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 13 walks in 55 innings this season.
• Left-handed starting pitcher Taylor Hearn, who was acquired with Felipe Rivero from the Nationals for Mark Melancon last season, struck out nine in six innings against Tampa last Friday.
In 16 starts, Hearn has a 4.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and 37 walks in 82 2/3 innings this season.
• Cole Tucker, a 21-year-old shortstop who was a first-round draft pick in 2014, is batting .410 with seven stolen bases over his last 10 games.
Tucker is now batting .292 with a .375 on-base percentage, four home runs, 30 RBI and 34 stolen bases in 62 games this season.
