It took a dozen years for Lonnie Chisenhall to finally sign with the Pirates.
The 30-year-old outfielder was selected by Pittsburgh in the 11th round of the 2006 amateur draft after his senior year of high school in Morehead City, N.C. Then a shortstop, Chisenhall declined to sign and instead accepted a scholarship from the University of South Carolina.
“I was kind of wishy-washy when we talked with the Pirates,” Chisenhall said of those negotiations during a phone interview with DKPittsburghSports.com. “I never really did give them a solid number that I wanted them to reach.”
On Nov. 27, the Pirates signed Chisenhall to a one-year, $2.75-million contract as a free agent. The talks this time around could not be termed “wishy-washy.”
“The Pirates showed a lot of interest right away, and I could tell it was going to be a good situation for me,” Chisenhall said. “They were offering the opportunity to play, and I haven’t played much the last two years. The whole thing came together pretty quickly.”
The Pirates are looking for Chisenhall to be the primary right fielder while Gregory Polanco recovers from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The Pirates say Polanco will be out anywhere from mid-April to mid-June, though they are likely to have a better idea once be begins throwing later this month.
Chisenhall, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the Indians, has had his own injury problems in recent years.
The 30-year-old was limited to just 29 games last season. He was out from April 8 to June 5 with a strained right calf, then he sustained a season-ending strained left calf on July 3.
In 2017, he had three stints on the disabled list with a sprained right shoulder, a concussion and a strained right calf. That limited him to 82 games. However, Chisenhall believes his legs are stronger after spending most of the second half of last season rehabbing at the Indians’ spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
The most frustrating part for Chisenhall is that he feels he was turning a corner as a hitter the last two seasons, batting .297/.368/.503 with 13 home runs in 111 games. Prior to 2017, he was a career .263/.311/.414 hitter with 51 homers in 577 games.
“I finally started to find some consistency,” Chisenhall said. “I developed a good (pre-game) routine and really stuck with it. I felt better prepared and more confident every time I stepped into the batter’s box. I’m looking forward to carrying it over to a full season.”
The left-handed hitting Chisenhall has a .757 career OPS against right-handed pitching and a .699 mark against lefties. That is not a huge split but enough that he could wind up platooning with right-handed hitting Jose Osuna, enabling the Pirates to give Chisenhall an occasional day off.
The Pirates also plan to ease Polanco back into action following major surgery. However, once Polanco starts getting the majority of playing time in right field, Chisenhall could make occasional starts at third base, first base and left field.
Chisenhall was a third baseman until shifting to right field midway through the 2015 season. He initially won high marks from scouts for his defensive work in right, though the leg injuries have limited his range the last two seasons.
“I always did a lot of power shagging in the outfield when I was a third baseman, so that helped make the transition go a little more smoothly,” Chisenhall said. “I feel comfortable in right field. I like playing the position.”
Should Chisenhall get some time at third base, he could be playing alongside a former Indians teammate in Erik Gonzalez. The Pirates acquired Gonzalez in a five-player trade Nov. 14, and he will be given a chance to win the starting shortstop job in spring training.
“Just watch him play and you’ll love him,” Chisenhall said. “I really believe he can be an everyday player in the big leagues. He’s an outstanding defensive player, and he can hit, which I think he’ll show if he gets to play regularly.
“He’s a great kid and a hard worker who prepares himself like a regular. The Pirates made a good move trading for him, and I’m excited that we’ll still be teammates.”
