One day after trading for an outfielder, the Pirates acquired another Wednesday, signing Michael Saunders to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.
Saunders, 31, is unlikely to join the competition for the starting job in left field, but he could be an option to make the club as a bench player. An All-Star for the Blue Jays in 2016, Saunders batted .205/.257/.360 in 73 games last season.
The left-handed hitter is only one season removed from a 24-home run, 57 RBI year with the Blue Jays in 2016. However, he struggled for Toronto and the Phillies last season, and he was sent to Triple-A, where he batted .274/.321/.404 in 35 games.
He is the second veteran outfielder the Pirates have signed to a minor-league contract. The other, Daniel Nava, missed Tuesday's workout at Pirate City because of lower back discomfort. The competition for a starting job is likely between Adam Frazier, Sean Rodriguez, Jordan Luplow and Bryce Brentz, whom the Pirates acquired from the Red Sox on Tuesday.
But Hurdle spoke earlier this week of his desire to have a veteran on the Pirates' bench this season. After all, he was forced to rely on rookies such as Jose Osuna and Gift Ngoepe in 2017.
Saunders has played in 775 major league games since making his debut for the Mariners in July 2009. He had a breakout season in 2012 when he hit 19 home runs and drove in 57, but he was mostly ineffective until the first half of 2016, when he batted .298/.372/..551. But Saunders batted .178 after the All-Star break. Despite those struggles, the Phillies signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract last offseason.
They released him by the end of June. The Blue Jays signed him to a minor-league contract, but Saunders didn't find success there, either. Although he could be a bench option, he's struggled as a pinch-hitter during his career, batting just .175 in 44 plate appearances, which makes Brentz and Nava much more realistic options for the opening day roster.