The Pirates have said that they want to create an atmosphere of competition this spring training. On Thursday, they added a couple veterans who will be looking to earn a spot on the roster.
The team announced the signings of catcher Tony Wolters and outfielder Brian Goodwin to minor league deals with invitations to spring training.
Per a source, Wolters can make $1.4 million if he makes the team, and Goodwin can make up to $1.6 million guaranteed with an additional $900,000 in performance bonuses.
Wolters, 28, was non-tendered by the Rockies in December after slashing .230/.280/.270 without a home run over 109 plate appearances last season. In his five-year Major League career he has recorded a .642 OPS despite playing in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
His claim to fame as a hitter was knocking in the winning run against the Cubs in the 13th inning of the 2018 Wild Card game.
Most of his value comes from his defense, where he has struggled the last couple years. From 2016 to 2018, his first three years in the Majors, he had 18 defensive runs saved and his pitch framing saved an estimated 21.4 runs. Over the last two years, while he still has been worth six defensive runs saved, he has cost his pitchers 10 runs. It was a much smaller sample size last year, but he also saw his caught stealing percentage drop from 33% his first four years in the Majors to 15% in 2020.
The Pirates greatly value defense from their catchers, especially since most of the starts this year will be made by young pitchers or rookies, like Mitch Keller, Miguel Yajure, Wil Crowe, JT Brubaker and Cody Ponce. That makes someone like Wolters appealing as a potential complement to Jacob Stallings, even if he won’t hit for much.
Wolters will be in the mix for the backup catcher job behind Stallings. Michael Perez, who was claimed off waivers from the Rays in October, is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. He has options remaining, so the Pirates could send him to the minors as depth if they would rather go with someone else as the primary backup backstop. Besides Wolters, the Pirates have also added veterans Andrew Susac – who spent last year in the Altoona training camp – and Joe Hudson, both on minor-league deals as well.
Goodwin, 30, split time between the Angels and Reds last year, slashing .215/.299/.417 with six home runs and 22 RBIs over 164 plate appearances. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
His best season came in 2019, when he hit 17 home runs, had a 108 OPS+ and was worth 2.2 WAR for the Angels.
He can play all three outfield positions, but hasn't graded out well as a fielder, being worth -16 defensive runs saved in his career. He can make the occasional gem though, like when he robbed Colin Moran of a home run last September:
While the Pirates have a couple infielders who can play the outfield, like Adam Frazier and Cole Tucker, they only have four true outfielders on the roster. Of those four, Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco will start, with Anthony Alford and Jared Oliva fighting for a spot in the lineup or on the roster. Goodwin will also be in that mix.
If either player makes the opening day roster, they will also be under team control for the 2022 season via arbitration.
Pitchers and catchers will report Feb. 15, with their first workout coming on Feb. 17 and the first full team workout on Feb. 22. The Pirates currently have 69 players coming to their Major League spring training, and they are still looking at pitching options. They can invite up to six more players while still abiding by the league’s health and safety protocols.