BRADENTON, Fla. — Corey Dickerson was unwrapping some of his new Pirates-issued equipment hours before first pitch Thursday morning at LECOM Park, when it dawned on him all over again that his tenure with the club was still so new. The clubhouse is new. Routines are unusual. He's trying to bond with teammates. Also, he's still getting to know Clint Hurdle.
"This still doesn't feel normal," Dickerson said. "It will with time. Then, everything will fall into place."
It hasn't yet. He was acquired from the Rays two weeks ago, but his arrival was delayed because his wife, Beth Anne, gave birth to their second son three hours after the trade, forcing him to miss the Pirates' first eight spring training games.
But each of Dickerson's three at-bats during an 8-3 victory over the Tigers Thursday — 2 for 3 in his third spring game — finally illustrated what he could contribute in 2018.
"Oh, I know what the man can do," Josh Harrison told DKPittsburghSports.com afterward. "He's got some thump, too. I think it definitely makes it that much more challenging for an opposing pitcher when we have a guy like that in the lineup."
Dickerson's singles in the third and fifth innings, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the latter, were his first hits of the spring. He also showed impeccable plate discipline in the first inning with a seven-pitch at-bat that ended with a groundout.
It wasn't the display of power the Pirates coveted when they acquired Dickerson for Daniel Hudson, minor-league shortstop Tristan Grey and cash considerations, but it was the first sign that he's getting reacclimated after missing time.
"It is good to get the first couple ones out of the way," Dickerson said, preceded by a heavy sigh. "Get the first hit out of the way. This is all about getting those at-bats. Once I get back into this, I can focus on really preparing for the season."
Shortly after being acquired, Dickerson was publicly anointed the starting left fielder by Neal Huntington, surpassing both Adam Frazier and Sean Rodriguez, who'd both been competing for the job with Andrew McCutchen gone.
It was the first significant offseason addition for the Pirates since before their 98-win season in 2015. The 28-year-old left-handed power hitter was an All-Star for the Rays last season after he slashed .312/.355/.548 in the first half. But his production plummeted in the second half, as Dickerson hit just .241/.282/.408 in his final 65 games.
He hit 17 home runs with 42 RBIs in the first half, compared to 10 home runs and 20 RBIs in the second half. Dickerson explained that his body simply wore down as the season progressed because he focused the previous offseason on losing weight — he dropped from 225 to 200 pounds — while recovering from a lingering injury.
"People don’t understand that I didn’t struggle at all in the first half and just because somebody struggles for a long period of time it makes it look worse than someone who struggles multiple times in a year," he said. "People don’t understand I was hurt in 2016, spent all offseason losing weight and I didn’t lift any weights, so I hit a wall mentally and physically in the second half."
Despite the sluggish finish, Dickerson had a slash line of .282/.325/.490 with 27 home runs and 62 RBIs. He also recorded a 2.6 fWAR, which would have ranked second behind McCutchen on the Pirates last season.
His .489 slugging percentage over the past three seasons ranks third in Major League Baseball among left fielders, although it's important to note that he started 52 games as the Rays' designated hitter last season. Additionally, he has posted an OPS+ of over 100 for four consecutive seasons — 141, 118, 106 and 120 — and has hit 20 or more home runs in three of his four full major league seasons.
Dickerson was able to return to his normal weight-lifting regimen this offseason and, although he said he feels as strong as he did at the start of last spring training, he's entering this next chapter of his career with a plan to help him sustain his production throughout an entire season.
"Now this is about maintaining everything, "Dickerson said. "I'm in a better position to do that."
For now, though, Hurdle is focused on how to best utilize Dickerson's skill set. Dickerson expressed to Hurdle that he prefers to hit between leadoff and third in the order, so he can better establish a routine. He also told Hurdle that he doesn't want to be moved around once the season begins.
Dickerson spent most of last season batting leadoff for the Rays, but he was moved throughout the order once Kevin Kiermaier fractured his hip in June. That Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell didn't play in Thursday's win changed the complexion of the lineup, but Hurdle said Dickerson is under consideration to bat second — a spot that is now typically reserved for a team's best contact hitter since it's most likely to have runners on base.
"He’s hit everywhere but about ninth," Hurdle said. "There’s usable speed. It’s a guy that with a runner on, it’s a left-handed hitter, so he can turn the ball to the right. He can wear out that hole. There’s a lot of things he can fit into that slot. He’s a guy that we’d consider moving forward but one of the reasons also is if a guy gets on first he can give you a two-run lead quick."
An eighth-round pick of the Rockies in 2010, Dickerson had 24 home runs in his first full major league season in 2014. But he was limited to only 65 games the following season after he suffered multiple rib fractures while diving for a fly ball.
Dickerson was traded by the Rockies to the Rays in January 2016, and he flourished in the American League East. The acquisition is particularly interesting for the Pirates, given the spacious left field at PNC Park. Dickerson has been a below-average defender in left field in each of his four seasons, recording negative-6 defensive runs saved for the Rockies in 2015.
He expressed confidence that the new workout regimen has enhanced his athleticism, and he has already started to communicate with Marte to better understand how the two will complement each other in the outfield.
"I've been watching every move he makes out there since I've gotten here," Dickerson said. "That's the best way to approach this."
Harrison, who batted leadoff on Thursday, said he isn't concerned at all with what pundits are saying about Dickerson's defense. The Pirates' second baseman is more interested in seeing what this offense can accomplish with Dickerson batting near the top of the order.
"Things can happen with this group, man," Harrison said, referring to himself, Dickerson, Marte, Polanco and Bell. "That’s a guy who can drive the ball into the gap. He’s come in and had a good day today, too. That's a good acquisition that can help us win games."
EXTRA BASES
• Nick Kingham, a 26-year-old right-handed starting pitcher, allowed three runs, one earned, with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings. He was the victim of poor defense, but he was able to work his way out of a few jams, stranding five runners on base, including two in scoring position in the third with back-to-back strikeouts.
"I thought, 'Here it is; I'm sick of trying to nitpick and maybe finagle around the strike zone a little bit,'" Kingham said. "Here it is, hit it, just put it in play and get themselves out. It kind of just worked for me, so I stuck to it. I mixed the ball well, at least I threw some fastballs early in the count and got some called strikes, swings and misses, so I just rolled with that."
• David Freese and Starling Marte both homered in the first inning, with Freese's two-run shot giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead. However, they made two poor defensive plays that led to runs. Marte watched a fly ball sail over his head in the third inning for an Edwin Espinal double.
One batter later, Freese committed a pair of errors — misplaying a grounder and forcing an errant throw to Kingham at first — to allow Espinal to score. Espinal, a first baseman who spent six years in the Pirates' system, drove in two runs in the third on a single to center.
Francisco Cervelli and Sean Rodriguez were also charged with errors. Rodriguez hit Espinal in the back with a throw from right field in the third inning.
"I can't believe that hit him," Rodriguez fumed afterward. "I mean, you have to go inside there, but it was just a bit inside. I can't allow that to happen."
• Cervelli went 2 for 3 with two doubles — his first hits of the spring — but he was thrown out trying to advance to third when a pitch went into the dirt in the fourth inning. Bryce Brentz hit his first home run of the spring, a solo shot in the eighth.
• Hurdle's lineup card for the win:
1. Josh Harrison, 2B
2. Corey Dickerson, LF
3. Starling Marte, CF
4. Colin Moran, 3B
5. David Freese, 1B
6. Sean Rodriguez, RF
7. Francisco Cervelli, C
8. Jordy Mercer, SS
9. Bryce Brentz, DH
• The Pirates will play the Phillies in Clearwater on Friday at 1:05 p.m. Steven Brault is expected to start with Dovydas Neverauskas, Richard Rodriguez, Casey Sadler and Tyler Jones in relief. Also, Jameson Taillon will pitch a four-inning intra-squad game at Pirate City.