Shuffle the deck
Reynolds could be in center every day
Reworking the lineup to accommodate the return of Ke’Bryan Hayes.
MILWAUKEE — Pirates manager Derek Shelton will have a slam-dunk decision later this week when Ke’Bryan Hayes returns from a left wrist strain.
Yeah, it probably makes sense to play the kid.
Beyond that? There’s looming intrigue with the lineup, and we might have gotten a preview Sunday in a victory over the Brewers.
After Kevin Newman pinch-hit in the sixth inning and stayed in the game to play shortstop, Erik Gonzalez moved from short to third base, Phillip Evans went from third to left field, and Bryan Reynolds moved from left to center.
While Hayes will certainly start at third when he’s ready, keeping Evans in left and Reynolds in center makes sense given the lack of production the Pirates have received from Dustin Fowler and Anthony Alford thus far.
But if that’s the way Shelton is leaning, he’s not tipping his hand.
“He’s definitely comfortable out there,” Shelton said of potentially playing Reynolds in center. “He takes balls out there, and he’s played center field in the past. So my comfort with him out there is very strong.”
Pressed again at the end of his Zoom call, Shelton said he has not yet thought about how he might construct his lineup once Hayes returns.
“When he comes back, then we’ll cross that bridge,” Shelton said.
It’s certainly fair to expect change, as Alford and Fowler have combined to hit just .130 (9 for 69) with 32 strikeouts in 70 plate appearances (45.7% strikeout rate). Although general manager Ben Cherington has said the Pirates would be patient, such scarce production is a problem.
Reynolds, meanwhile, is hitting .317 with an .880 OPS, and those numbers have been even better — .371 and 1.006 — over his past nine games. Plus, Reynolds likes playing center field and would welcome it.
“I felt comfortable over there,” Reynolds said.
Aside from the starting lineup, there’s also a roster component. Hayes will be added to the active roster, which means that somebody must come off. The targets there should be Alford, Fowler and Wilmer Difo, who are all out of options and would be exposed to waivers.
Assuming those three stay healthy, it’s an interesting discussion. Alford has been the worst in terms of production, but he’s also probably the most likely to get claimed thanks to his athleticism and potential.
Difo has shown some surprising pop, with two doubles, a triple and a home run in just 23 at-bats, but he also has struck out 11 times, including a couple of times in key situations.
Fowler might make the most sense, considering he’s hitting .194 with one extrabase hit and has a skill set that’s similar to others. But you’re then committing to not only keeping Alford in the four-man outfield rotation but also shoehorning a versatile infielder — be it Evans, Difo or Erik Gonzalez — into what would become a fairly regular outfield role.
The suggestion here is Fowler. Difo could provide infield depth and, at minimum, has shown some pop compared to none for the other guys in much fewer opportunities.
Plus, if they lose Fowler, the dropoff to Brian Goodwin — who’s at the alternate training site on a minorleague deal, with a May optout date fast approaching — doesn’t appear to be that much.
As with any decision, this could always backfire. Another team could claim Fowler and he could conceivably flourish. But since snagging him from the A’s, the Pirates have seen little reason to believe that such a transformation is imminent.
With these questions answered, the Pirates might soon want to revisit their shortstop competition. After winning the starting job with a stellar spring, Newman has hit just .179 with a .421 OPS in the regular season. Gonzalez has been at .267 and .705 while starting nine of the Pirates’ first 16 games, a quarter of those at shortstop.