Pirates' Spring NRIs -- Outfielders

Is an offensive upgrade in here?

Matt Gorski Photo Credit: WTM

Today the outfielders, which isn’t a big group. With the Pirates having incomprehensibly added Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier, these guys are facing very long odds.

Bryce Johnson: A speedy outfielder who’s mostly played center, Johnson has generally drawn walks and gotten on base in the minors but isn’t likely to hit for any power. He also strikes out more than you’d expect for a guy who’s never hit more than nine total home runs in any season. Johnson has had several brief stints in the majors with the Giants and Padres totaling 140 plate appearances. He had a difficult time, posting a .474 OPS. He has put up pretty good numbers in AAA, with a .810 OPS over all or parts of the last four years, and his two best seasons were 2023-24, but some of that is probably attributable to playing in the Pacific Coast League. He’s been a good base stealer, going 99-for-115 in AAA. Johnson faces an awful lot of competition for a bench role — if one is even available — from Billy Cook, Jack Suwinski, Josh Palacios, and Ji-Hwan Bae, all of whom have some experience in center. His one advantage is being a switch hitter while they’re all left-handed. He’s 29 now.

Chance of making the team: Low.

Nick Solak: The Pirates list Solak as an outfielder, but his “portfolio” is very similar to Frazier’s, except that he’s a right-handed hitter: He plays second and the outfield corners, and has seen more time at second. Solak’s a line-drive hitter with moderate power and solid plate discipline. He has a lot of major league experience, nearly 1000 plate appearances, and has hit passably, with a .700 OPS. Notably, he has a .791 career OPS in the majors against LHPs. He’s consistently put up good hitting numbers in the minors. Solak is 30 now and doesn’t run well, and would probably be below average defensively at any position. For an NRI, he might have stood a decent chance of making the team until they signed Frazier.

Chance of making the team: Low.

Matt Gorski: Gorski should be pretty familiar by now, as he was drafted in the second round way back in 2019. He seemingly has some attractive tools, with good speed, the ability to play center and good power. He’s also played first a little. His swing-and-miss issues, though, seem to put everybody off completely, which is a little odd because almost every hitter has swing-and-miss issues these days. Gorski has hit 20 or more home runs in three straight seasons, including 23 with a 257/319/522 line at Indianapolis in 2024. Just the same, he’s 26 now and has been passed over twice in Rule 5, and the Pirates have never called him up despite nearly always having multiple sub-Mendoza, sub-replacement players on the roster. Logically, Gorski should have a non-zero chance of making the roster, but history isn’t on his side.

Chance of making the team: None.

DJ Stewart: A 25th overall pick for the Orioles back in 2015, Stewart’s game is left-handed power. He’s had 1001 major league plate appearances with a 212/328/401 line. He puts up good walk rates but strikes out at a 27% career rate and can’t hit LHPs. His speed and defense are below average. Between 2021 and 2023 (he missed nearly all of 2022 with injuries), Stewart hit 23 home runs in 430 ABs for Baltimore and the Mets. He had a rough 2024, batting .177 without much power, and became a free agent when the Mets outrighted him after the season. Stewart might have made some sense as a long shot for the right field job before the recent signings.

Chance of making the team: Low.