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Williams: The Pirates Have Problems That Utility Players Can’t Solve

Last year the Pirates had Matt Joyce as their fourth outfielder. Joyce is a true outfielder, playing no other position during his MLB career. He came into camp on a minor league deal, and made the team on Opening Day due to a strong spring.

That carried over to the regular season, where Joyce put up a .242/.403/.463 line in 293 plate appearances. His .375 wOBA and 137 wRC+ were the best marks on the team. The performance allowed him to cash in this past offseason, signing a two-year, $11 M deal with Oakland. That also left the Pirates without a true fourth outfielder.