BRADENTON, Fla. — Ryan O’Hearn couldn’t wait to get on the field with the Pittsburgh Pirates and interact with fans at Pirate City. Brandon Lowe appeared overwhelmed by the change of scenery.
Where first baseman/outfielder O’Hearn is playing for his third team since July after signing a free-agent deal, Lowe left the only team he’s known as a pro when the Tampa Bay Rays dealt the second baseman to the Pirates in a three-team trade in December.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of names and a lot of talking that I’m not used to doing,” Lowe said Sunday. “It’s a complete 180 from what I’m used to. I went from a place that I knew everybody — every face, every minor league coach, everything in the world — to a completely new facility and new names. So I’m doing my best, trying to learn everything and the intricacies of Pirate City right now, but everything’s going well.”
O’Hearn and Lowe, along with designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, are expected to provide some star power — with an emphasis on power — when they join their new teammates Monday morning for the first full-squad workout of spring training. Ozuna needed to pass his physical exam to finalize his one-year, $12 million contract.
“I’m really pumped to see all those guys,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “They all looked in great shape. O’Hearn got out there a little bit. Reynolds and Lowe were hitting in the cage. Marcell is finishing up all of his physical stuff. I’m really excited about having the full team together.”
The trio of All-Star additions combined for 5.9 WAR, 59 doubles, 69 home runs and 214 RBIs last season, bringing much-needed pop to a Pirates lineup that ranked dead last in the majors in homers, slugging percentage and OPS.
Not only are they expected to provide protection for Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in the batting order but run support for a pitching staff anchored by National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
“You look around the clubhouse and it’s loaded with talent,” Lowe said. “Marcell’s been doing this for a long time. That’s why a lot of people know his name, he’s been very good for a long time. But there’s a lot of young guys that are very talented that are here to show what they have.
“When you look around and see the names, it does get you excited. A staff that doesn’t give up a whole lot of runs. A defense that’s really good that just needed a little bit of help offensively, and they went out and did that. They got some really good bats in free agency and traded for a couple more. It’s going to be a lot of fun here coming down the stretch and getting spring training started, seeing what everyone’s done in the offseason to improve themselves. Hopefully, it gets some Pirates fans excited.”
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the offseason moves have the front office and coaching staff pumped, as the new-and-improved lineup was the subject of their first spring training meeting.
“I believe from a spring training perspective, just thinking about the players we have in camp, it’s probably the deepest, most talented group we’ve had,” Cherington said. “All that matters today and from today on is are we doing the things every day to give us the best chance to win games when we go to New York and beyond during the season. Belief in the players, yes and also clear to me, clear to us, whatever the roster says, whatever the projections say, the prognosticators say, we got to go out and do the work that leads to winning baseball games.”
The question is whether the construction of the roster will work. O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz are both left-handed hitters, so they were expected to split time at first base and designated hitter. The signing of Ozuna, who has served strictly as DH the past two seasons for the Atlanta Braves, could complicate that scenario.
O’Hearn, selected to his first All-Star Game last summer while with the Baltimore Orioles, expressed excitement over the Ozuna signing — “I love it, a guy who’s obviously been very good for a long time” — and a willingness to play in the outfield, if necessary.
Although O’Hearn has played 385 games at first base, 185 at DH and 121 in the outfield, he’s also open to playing right field, where he has 77 career starts.
“You know what, I’m all for it. Whatever we need to do, whatever I need to do for us to be at our best,” O’Hearn said. “And if that means going out to right field or left field, whatever they want me to do, I’m going to figure it out. That’s why we’re here in spring training.”
The next six weeks will determine who plays where and what the lineup will look like for Opening Day on March 26 at the New York Mets, but the newcomers were quick to note that from an outsider’s perspective, the Pirates appear ready to compete and contend in the NL Central.
“They look like they’re a team and an organization that really wants to win and push with the talent that they’ve had and make some minor additions here and there,” Lowe said. “I think that’s kind of the biggest thing of it all. It seems like a team that wants to put some talent on the field and go win some ballgames. That’s all you can really ask for. Winning is a whole heck of a lot more fun than losing is.”