INDIANAPOLIS — One person didn’t seem to belong in the outfield tracking down fly balls coming out of the pitching machine.
Josh Bell was out there, but that’s not uncommon. He’s been playing about one game a week in right field since mid-July. Jose Osuna was next in line, but that comes as no surprise since most of his time on defense is spent in the outfield.
But there was a third person in line — Max Moroff, a player that has never played in the outfield as a professional.
“We’re just getting him a little work out there,” Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor said. “We’re encouraging him to take some balls live in [batting practice] and get used to it out there. We’re just letting him see what it looks like out there and what it feels like out there.”
Moroff has played 44 games at second base, 42 at third base, and 13 at shortstop. But don’t expect Moroff to play a game in the outfield anytime too soon.
“Not for a while,” Treanor said. “I’m not sure it would even happen.”
Moroff will catch fly balls off the pitching machine, which allows him to gauge the flight of the ball. Spending time in the outfield during batting practice will allow Moroff to read the ball off the bat and practice running routes.
“We’re just trying to get guys into some other positions and create value,” Treanor said. “Much as we did with [Adam] Frazier this year, along those same lines. He looks good out there. So I think it translates well out there being out there.”
Frazier had not played in the outfield until reaching Double-A Altoona and a big selling point for him is his ability to play nearly any position on the field. Prior to the season, Pirates’ Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway discussed how Moroff could get some work in the outfield at some point this year.
The likelihood of Moroff playing a game in the outfield this season is probably decent, because there is nothing to lose. But in the long run, Moroff learning to play in the outfield can only prove beneficial. That can add value for him as a super utility player down the road and allow him to carve a niche similar to what Frazier has done this season with the Pirates.
