BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates agreed to terms Thursday on a minor-league contract with outfielder Matt Joyce, according to a report from Fox Sports.
Joyce, 31, has spent eight seasons in the majors with the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels. He hit .174 with a .564 on-base plus slugging percentage in 284 plate appearances for the Angels last season after the Rays traded him for Kevin Jepsen.
Before 2015, Joyce was solid. He made the All-Star team in 2011 with the Rays when he hit .277 with 19 home runs. He batted .254 with a .349 on-base percentage in 493 plate appearances in 2014, with nine homers, and hit at least 17 homers in three consecutive years from 2011-13.
Before his terrible 2015, which included missed time in July and August because of a concussion, Joyce was serviceable against right-handed pitching. He hit .263 with a .365 OBP against right-handers in 2014, and .253 with a .348 OBP in his career.
Joyce bats left-handed. Gregory Polanco is the only outfielder on the 40-man roster who hits left-handed. Joyce could be a candidate to make the roster as the team’s fourth outfielder.
No talks with Cervelli
The Pirates have not discussed a contract extension with catcher Francisco Cervelli, who will reach free agency after the 2016 season.
“I haven’t talked to the Pirates since the playoff last year,” Cervelli said. “I haven’t talked to anybody about anything. I’m concentrating in my work, concentrating on what I can control.”
Often, the Pirates at least will broach the subject of an extension with a player entering his walk year. That can lead to an extension (Chris Stewart), a trade (Neil Walker) or nothing at all. But nothing has happened with Cervelli or Mark Melancon, who will play important roles this season for the Pirates.
Cervelli had the best season of his career last year, batting .295 with a .370 OBP.
“We haven’t talked to the Pirates,” he said. “My agent, or me, nothing.”
Cervelli and the Pirates avoided arbitration and agree to a $3.5 million contract for 2016.
New Sunday home jerseys
The Pirates’ Sunday home alternate jerseys got a makeover, and it will involve pillbox caps.
This year, the Pirates will wear throwback jerseys replicating the yellow V-necked pullovers worn in 1979, the team announced Thursday. The uniforms also include black pants with gold stripes. The Pirates wore these uniforms in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, when they beat the Baltimore Orioles.
“The 1979 uniforms have always been widely popular with our fans and we believe this is the right complement to our existing uniform collection,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement. “Every season, we strive for ways to pay tribute to the great teams of our past. This is a unique opportunity for the organization to recognize the 1979 World Series Champions.”
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: February 19, 2016, 5:00 a.m.