The Pirates are looking for outfield help outside their organization as the ripple effects of Starling Marte’s steroid suspension continue, general manager Neal Huntington said.
After Marte was suspended 80 games because he tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, the Pirates promoted Jose Osuna. He, Adam Frazier and John Jaso have played right field, with Andrew McCutchen moving back to center. Osuna’s best position is first base.
“If we felt there was something better internally at this point in time, we’d make that move,” Huntington said. “As we sit here today, this is the right 25 for us in our minds.”
Osuna and Jaso both misplayed balls during the weekend series against the New York Yankees that cost the Pirates runs.
Huntington said the organization learned of Marte’s suspension at 9 p.m. Monday night, one day before Major League Baseball announced it.
“We had no idea, no knowledge that this was coming,” Huntington said. “As part of the program, it’s the way the union and baseball have negotiated it. The player is made aware. The appeal process was exhausted.”
Huntington declined to answer whether or not Marte actually appealed. ESPN’s T.J. Quinn and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman both reported that Marte did not appeal, despite citing “Neglect and lack of knowledge” and unintentional disrespect in his statement.
Huntington reiterated that the team does not plan to promote top outfield prospect Austin Meadows. Meadows is hitting .196/.270/.286 at Class AAA Indianapolis and the team will want to wait until late May or early June anyway to prevent him from qualifying for Super Two status and earning an extra year of arbitration eligibility.
First Published: April 23, 2017, 6:40 p.m.
