BRADENTON, Fla. — Eighteen-year-old Korean shortstop Ji-hwan Bae made his Grapefruit League debut Monday, pinch-running for Jordy Mercer in the seventh inning of the Pirates’ 6-3 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies. From his brief cameo on the basepath, Bae’s speed — one of the skills that attracted the Pirates to him in the first place — was evident, and he scored from second on a single. While Bae is years away from making his major-league debut, the Pirates are intrigued by the young shortstop, who first drew their interest two years ago.
It might not be much consolation for Pirates fans right now, but the end of Andrew McCutchen’s tenure in Pittsburgh to some extent sowed the seeds for Bae’s own path with the Pirates.