BRADENTON, Fla. — With the sun high above the palm trees surrounding the backfields of the Pirates' spring training complex, Starling Marte trotted to center field to begin outfield drills.
The 29-year-old was beaming as he turned his back to the towering green batter's eye and prepared for the first ball to come his way. Marte held that expression for much of his first day of spring training. After a tumultuous 12 months, he was back at the position he played on opening day at Fenway Park last season.
He didn't displace the face of the franchise at the position this time, though. Instead, he was named the Pirates' starting center fielder shortly after Andrew McCutchen was traded last month.
"This organization has always shown me much respect and they’ve always trusted me and what I can offer," he said Thursday afternoon through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. "They recognize what I can offer and bring to the table as a center fielder. They know that I am a center fielder and they know that I can play the position well. I don’t think there’s much different as how I received the news or just the opportunity to be able to play center field."
Marte's presence three days before position players are required to report to spring training was the unofficial beginning of a plan the Pirates implemented nearly one year ago. Clint Hurdle intended for Marte to be the starting center fielder in 2017, with McCutchen moving to right and Gregory Polanco to left.
However, the World Baseball Classic prevented that group from developing any sort of cohesion during spring training. Then, after only 14 starts in center to begin the season, Marte was suspended 80 games after testing positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing drug.
Marte returned to play 77 games for the Pirates in his sixth season with the club, but he made only 11 more appearances in center. The absence had little affect on the two-time Gold Glove Award winner's defense in left field.
He registered nine defensive runs saved in left, according to Fan Graphs. Additionally, Marte remained a difference-maker on the bases with 21 stolen bases. But it took him until the final weeks of the season to become a threat offensively.
"Going through what I went through last season, it was tough," Marte said. "It was hard. I grew a lot, but I’m coming into this season with a brand-new mentality. A mentality to help my team like never before. To be the best teammate I can be, and to make sure I’m remaining healthy. To make sure I continue being the Marte that I am. To continue being that baseball player that’s not only producing on the bases, producing in center field and producing at the plate. That’s my goal."
Marte finished the season with a .275/.333/.379 slash line and only three home runs with 21 RBI, but he batted 314/.371/.429 in the Pirates' final 28 games. That progress continued this offseason while Marte played for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League.
Marte batted .444 with a 1.207 OPS in his final 10 games before a laceration on his left hand cut his season short. In 30 games, he batted .277/.333/.438. Despite missing as much time as he did last season, Marte didn't change his offseason training program, though.
Again, he did extensive work with Polanco in the Dominican Republic. One of the few changes Marte made was paying closer attention to what supplements he ingested.
"Some of the adjustments I’ve made is just becoming more knowledgeable to what I’m allowing to enter my body," Marte said. "Also asking more questions and learning more about the products, supplements, what’s a better diet for myself. But I think the biggest thing is not offering my trust to just anyone. To be honest with you, I’ve reached the point where I kind of trust nobody. You’ve got to really earn that for me to put something in my body, whether it’s some type of diet or supplement or anything like that. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a huge lesson and definitely becoming more aware, more conscious."
Hurdle called Marte three times during the offseason. The first conversation occurred before Marte began his season in the DWL while the second took place in December after that season came to an end. Then, shortly after McCutchen was traded last month, Hurdle called Marte again.
This time, though, it was to tell Marte that he was headed back to center field. Marte told reporters the news of McCutchen's departure was "sad," because it was McCutchen who often helped Marte become acclimated upon reaching the major leagues in July 2012.
But what occurred last season didn't temper Marte's excitement for the move, according to Hurdle. Despite having little time to become re-acclimated to the position — which he played throughout the minor leagues — Marte expressed confidence to Hurdle that he could be the center fielder the club envisioned when it moved him there one year ago.
"Last year was a hard year," Hurdle said. "It showed him; he missed 80 games. It’s hard. He didn’t get a feel for the offensive part of the game until the last 10 days, two weeks of the season. ... The outfield thing, now knowing that it’s not Andrew had to move or that we had to move something. He’s in center field. Go play. He’s excited, and he’s a driven player. It’s just to be the best player he can be for this team and to look forward to what type of player he can be and represent the Pirates and every other young player from his country."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY