Perrotto: What Happens if Pirates Don’t Find a Right Fielder?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent the entire offseason looking for a right fielder to fill the biggest hole in their roster.

At least, that’s what they say. Spring training is two weeks away and the Pirates still haven’t found their man.

If actions speak louder than words, the Pirates may plan on staying in-house to find their right field solution. And what if the Pirates decide to follow that course?

Well, here are the options:

Joshua Palacios: The 29-year-old has played 114 games for the Pirates over the last two seasons, hitting .236/.291/.398 with 12 home runs. If Palacios’ production matched his energy, he’d be an All-Star. Alas, he has a 77 OPS+ in 156 big-league games.

Nick Yorke: In a bit of a surprise, The Athletic’s Keith Law ranks the 22-year-old Yorke as the 50th-best prospect in baseball. Yorke has been primarily an infielder during his professional career but made a good impression in his first taste of the major leagues last September despite hitting .216/.286/.378 in 11 games with two home runs and two stolen bases.

Billy Cook: Another player who made his major-league debut late last season, Cook batted .224/.224/.449 with three home runs in 16 games. Not drawing a walk in 49 plate appearances raises concerns but the 26-year-old might be a late bloomer after getting buried in the Baltimore Orioles’ deep farm system.

Jack Suwinski: The one-time regular led the Pirates with 26 home runs just two years ago and stole 13 bases. Yet the 26-year-old has almost become a forgotten man after slashing .182/.264/.324 with nine homers and nine steals in 88 games last season.

Ji-Hwan Bae: Another player who has fallen from grace since his fast start in 2023. The 25-year-old played just 29 games with the Pirates last season and hit .189/.247/.216 with six stolen bases. Carrying himself like a superstar in the clubhouse doesn’t help Bae’s cause.

Endy Rodriguez/Henry Davis: A coupled entry here as the Pirates say they want both players to remain catchers. Rodriguez has the athleticism to be an outfielder, though he missed almost all of last season while recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Davis was a disaster as a right fielder as a rookie in 2023 and it’s hard to see him getting another shot at the position.

Bryce Johnson: The 29-year-old will be in major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee. Johnson has played in 88 big-league games over the last three seasons with the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, hitting .177/.248/.226 with one home run.

Nick Solak: Another non-roster invitee, Solak spent all last season with the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A farm club, slashing .311/.406/.446 with nine homers and 10 stolen bases in 90 games. Solak, 30, has spent all or parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Texas Rangers (2019-22), Atlanta Braves (2023) and Detroit Tigers (2023). He is a .252/.327/.372 career hitter with 21 home runs in 255 games.

DJ Stewart: Yet another NRI, Stewart hit .177/.325/.259 with five home runs in 74 games for the New York Mets last season. The 31-year-old did belt 11 homers in 58 games for the Mets in 2023 but has never lived up to his pedigree as the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in 2015. He has a lifetime slash line of .212/.328/.401 with 42 homers in 327 games over seven seasons with the Orioles (2018-22) and Mets (2023-24).

So, there are 10 candidates for the job and none are overly appealing as an everyday right fielder.

Who should the Pirates pick if they keep the status quo? I have a hard time giving up on a guy who hit 26 home runs, had a 113 OPS+ and produced 2.2 bWAR just two years ago.

I’d give Suwinski another shot.