BRADENTON, Fla. -- Kevin Newman has found a home, as in a place to live.
The Pirates rookie infielder and his wife bought a place in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the end of last season. Like every young couple, they are excited about having a house to call their own.
“It’s nice to finally settle in one place,” Newman said.
What Newman’s role will be at the start of the upcoming season is not so settled.
He could be the Pirates’ opening day shortstop. Or he could be a utility player. He might also wind up back at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he spent parts of the past two seasons.
If the choice were up to Newman, he would obviously pick the first option.
“Ever since I was a little kid, that’s all I’ve ever wanted, a chance to be a regular in the major leagues,” the 25-year-old told DKPittsburghSports.com during the Pirates’ minicamp, which continued Tuesday at Pirate City and runs through Thursday.
With the way the roster is presently constituted, Newman will compete with Erik Gonzalez in spring training to be the primary shortstop. The Pirates acquired Gonzalez from the Indians in a five-player trade in November. Things could possibly change between now and next month, though.
The Pirates are still looking to upgrade at shortstop and have interest in free agents Freddy Galvis and the Diamondbacks’ Nick Ahmed. There is also a chance they could strike a deal with Jose Iglesias, another free agent.
Yet for now, it appears to be Newman vs. Gonzalez.
“Getting an opportunity is all you could ever ask for,” Newman said. “I’m really excited about it. Every day, I’m going to work as hard as I can, get as toned as I can, get as prepared as I can to come in ready to fight for a spot.”
Newman is showing how serious he is this week. He is one of a handful of players participating in minicamp who has major league experience.
Of course, that experience turned out to be a bit of nightmare at times late last season for the Pirates’ first-round selection in the 2015 amateur draft. Newman made his debut Aug. 16 and went on to hit just .209/.247/.231 in 31 games while also playing shaky defense.
“The pitchers are a lot better in the major leagues,” Newman said. “They know how to get guys out. They are not just up there throwing their pitches and working on things like they might be in the minor leagues. They are there to get you out, every single at-bat.”
Newman had just four hits in his first 35 at-bats. He then went 15-for-46 to finish the season, giving him a good note on which to move into his new house.
“I learned a lot,” he said. “It was really great to get up there and get my feet wet and see how things were.
“I had some tough times but, at the end of the day, you’ve got to know yourself and understand you’re in the major leagues for a reason. When I reflect back, I had a lot of support, thankfully, from the coaching staff, from my family, from my friends. They all reinforced that I was there for a reason and to not let (the struggles) get in my head, to keep going about your day the same way whether you’re struggling or doing well. Those things really helped bounce me out of the bad times.”