Pirates Monitoring Blooming Meadows

PITTSBURGH–Austin Meadows reached Double-A during the final week of last season as a 20-year-old, but the talented outfielder’s ascension to a spot in the major league lineup may not be so rapid.

Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen is signed through 2017 with the Pirates holding a reasonable $14.75-million club option for 2018. Meanwhile, left fielder Starling Marte is under contract through 2019 with club options for 2020 and 2021 and right fielder Gregory Polanco doesn’t become eligible for free agency until following the 2021 season.

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While Meadows knows the Pirates’ outfield is going to be tough to crack, he tries not to think that far ahead.

“I don’t really try to worry about the future,” said Meadows, who the Pirates selected in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft with the ninth overall pick from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga. “I just go out there and play the game hard and whatever happens, happens.”

Lots of good things happened last season as the lefthanded-hitting Meadows batted .307/.357/.407 with seven home runs and 20 stolen bases in 556 plate appearances with high Class A Bradenton. He then made a six-game cameo with Double-A Altoona and hit .360/.429/.680 in 28 trips to the plate.

Meadows, who ranks as the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect behind only righthander Tyler Glasnow, finished the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .169/194/.309 in 16 games for Glendale.

“I learned a lot about the game this year,” Meadows said. “The game goes by a little quicker, and you really have to go up to the plate with an approach. The pitchers are around the zone, which I guess is a good thing for hitters. I just really try to be aggressive.”

PITTBURGERS

• The Pirates made only one selection in the Rule 5 draft, taking shortstop Alfredo Reyes from the New York Mets in the Triple-A phase. Reyes, 22, hit a combined .226/.266/.280 in 255 plate appearances with short-season Brooklyn and high Class A St. Lucie last season but the Pirates like the 6-foot-2, 160-pounder’s defense and athleticism.

• For the fourth straight year, the Pirates did make a selection in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft. However, they lost righthander Deolis Guerra to the Los Angeles Angels just two days after re-signing him to a minor league contract.