The Pirates’ center field plan has certainly not gone as expected. In spring training, Anthony Alford, Dustin Fowler and Brian Goodwin were in competition for the final starting job in center and a spot on the bench. Alford and Fowler won those gigs, with Goodwin waiting in reserve at the alternate site.
Within a month, Alford and Fowler were designated for assignment, and on Monday, the Pirates released Goodwin rather than putting him on the Class AAA Indianapolis roster.
It doesn’t look like there is any immediate relief coming soon, but that could change later this season now that Travis Swaggerty will start in Indianapolis.
After playing in high Class A in 2019, the Pirates opted to have him skip Altoona entirely this year, believing that his participation at the alternate training site last year and this April was comparable experience for him.
"[Getting to promotion to AAA] was awesome, but it kind of started at the alternate site,” Swaggerty said during the Indians’ media day. “I was excited to go there first, and for me to be able to perform and do well, stay healthy, that was a big deal.”
It was Swaggerty’s work at the alternate site that convinced the front office to push him this year. Ben Cherington told reporters Saturday that Swaggerty was one of the most consistent players at the training site.
Swaggerty didn’t know Cherington felt that way until it was brought up on media day. When told the news, he started to grin and responded, "that does feel pretty good to hear.”
“The main thing for me is just staying consistent with my approach,” he continued after, explaining what had clicked. “A lot of times in the past, when I was younger, I had a lot of swing and miss because I didn't stay true to myself, stay true to my approach. So I took that into spring training and my cage work and into games, and it worked out. I was able to build off everything.”
Selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Swaggerty has drawn praise for his raw tools, especially his speed, defense and raw power. The first two have translated well to professional ball, but he had just nine home runs and a .381 slugging percentage in High-A Bradenton in 2019. Tapping into that power more consistently would be a huge breakthrough for him.
Brian Esposito, his manager at the alternate site and Indianapolis has seen all of those tools play over the last year.
“I like the kid. I like the player,” Esposito said. “It's a player that plays without a governor. It's one speed. Everything he does is quick-twitch, it's fast. There's some pop in the bat. We saw as he played some games in the alternate site that he's able to leave the building at some times with the barrel, but there are a lot of things that he does with his legs where he can put the ball on the ground and create some havoc for the defense.”
MLB Pipeline ranks him as the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect. FanGraphs has him at No. 8, and Baseball America at 14.
At the moment, the Pirates have three true outfielders on the roster: Bryan Reynolds, Gregory Polanco and Ka’ai Tom, who was recently claimed off waivers. They also have been cycling utility players at the corner spots, especially Phillip Evans in left and Wilmer Difo in right.
The Pirates will need extra outfielders this season, most likely in a starting role. With Jared Oliva on the injured list with an oblique strain for at least the next few weeks and Oneil Cruz still getting a shot to play shortstop in Altoona, that could mean Swaggerty gets a call this season.
He is downplaying that possibility, but it’s hard to ignore the opportunity that is in front of him.
"You know what, at the end of the day, I can only control what I can control,” Swaggerty said. “It would be really easy to look and see and be excited. I don't control any of those moves. All I can control is how I go about my business, and I'll continue to do that. Whenever the time comes for me to go up, I'll be ready."
The minor-league season for all of the Pirates’ full-season affiliates starts Tuesday.