Pirates scouts pounded the table for Erik Gonzalez, manager Clint Hurdle said, but they weren’t the only one doing their homework on the 27-year-old shortstop. The pitchers called people they knew in the Cleveland Indians organization, where Gonzalez played before the Pirates traded for him, and got their own scouting reports.
“The narrative you get back, the kid can play,” Hurdle said at PiratesFest Saturday. “The kid hasn’t had a chance to play because of the people he’s played behind.”
Being an infielder on the same roster as Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis doesn’t allow for much playing time.
“I think that was [one of] the happier days I’ve had in baseball because I was in Cleveland, but I didn’t have the chance to play every day,” Gonzalez said after hearing he’d been traded.
Gonzalez played in 81 games last year, his third in the major leagues, and hit .265/.301/.375 in 143 plate appearances. Hurdle said scouts had told him that Gonzalez was a dynamic defender who might have more range than anyone Hurdle has managed.
“It will be great to see him maybe be on the bigger stage,” said new Pirates outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who played with Gonzalez in Cleveland. “It’s tough to be behind those guys. He’s a great player, he’s a very hard worker, he’s well-spoken, he’s a good man. Any pitcher would love to have him behind him.”
Gonzalez and Kevin Newman will compete for playing time at shortstop unless the Pirates acquire someone else.
“We feel like we've got a young Freddy Galvis. His name is Erik Gonzalez,” general manager Neal Huntington said during a Q and A session Saturday. “We feel like we have a young Jordy Mercer, and his name is Kevin Newman. We feel both players can be what those players were — better.”
Huntington also said Newman, who had a .478 OPS and 23 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances last year, was “out of gas” when he was called up and had lost 10 pounds. Hurdle expected Newman to be a “different cat” when he reported to spring training. He’ll have Gonzalez to contend with.
“If you don’t play every day, you’re going to lose a little bit of passion for baseball,” Gonzalez said. “If you play every day, your passion is like fire. Sometimes I played one day in two weeks, just practice, practice. It’s a little bit hard. Now I feel like my passion is going to be on fire again because I’m going to play more now.”
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: January 27, 2019, 12:41 a.m.
