BRADENTON, Fla. — As the Boston Red Sox took pregame batting practice, Elvis Escobar spotted his friend Gorkys Hernández swinging a bat behind the cage at LECOM Park. Escobar, who’s in his first big league camp with the Pirates, trotted over to say hello.
“I didn’t tell him that I’m a pitcher now,” said Escobar, who was an outfielder for his first seven seasons in the minors.
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As Escobar warmed up on the mound before the sixth inning, he glanced into the Red Sox dugout. Hernández stood on the top step, mouth agape, staring at Escobar with wide eyes.
“After the game, he texted me, ‘What were you doing on the mound?’ ” Escobar said. “It was pretty funny. Everyone is so surprised to see me with a pitcher’s glove now.”
Escobar’s conversion from a weak-hitting outfielder to a reliever with a mid-90s mph fastball is one of many intriguing sidebars in Pirates camp. Spring training isn’t only about deciding which 25 players will be with the team on opening day. It also sets the stage for prospects — non-roster guys such as Escobar and guys called up from minor league camp for late-game cameo appearances — to watch as the summer unfolds.
Here are three to keep an eye on, starting with the newbie reliever who hopes to someday face Hernández in the majors:
LHP Elvis Escobar
Age: 24
How acquired: International free agent, 2011, $570,000 bonus
2018: He batted .151 in 42 games with Double-A Altoona. In a combined 18 relief outings with Altoona and Low-A Charleston, he went 4-2 with a 3.56 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP and 10.7 K/9.
Rankings: MiLB Pipeline, unranked; Baseball America, unranked; Fangraphs, unranked
Probable 2019 club: Altoona ETA in majors: 2021
As a position player, Escobar was a line-drive hitter with zero power and a proclivity for strikeouts. Management figured he couldn’t hit enough to reach the majors, not even as a fourth outfielder.
His switch to pitcher began on May 25, when he came in from right field to pitch an inning of mop-up duty in what turned out to be a 14-2 loss for Altoona against Harrisburg. Manager Michael Ryan told Escobar, “Don’t do anything stupid. Just try to get it over the plate,” then handed him the ball and went back to the dugout.
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“I faced the pitcher and was throwing like 80 mph, just trying to get the ball over, and it was foul, foul, foul,” Escobar said. “Eleven pitches. So I thought, ‘Let’s see what I can do right here.’ I threw it as hard as I can, and it was 94 mph. They said to me, ‘That’s a good sign.’ After that, I played for about two more weeks before I was called into the office and became a pitcher.”
Offered a chance to salvage his career in a new role, Escobar did not hesitate. “They gave me the choice, and I think they were surprised that I said yes right away,” Escobar said.“My answer was, ‘So, when do I throw my first bullpen?’ and they were like, ‘What?’ I wanted to throw a bullpen (session) that day.”
He threw a handful of bullpens and a round of live batting practice before being sent to Charleston. After the season, he went to Instructional League and also pitched in 16 games for Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.
“It all happened so fast,” Escobar said with a laugh. “I grabbed the ball, threw it and now I’m here.”
At 5-feet-8 and 181 pounds, Escobar doesn’t fit the Pirates’ preferred template of towering, lithe pitchers. Yet, there’s a good amount of juice in his fastball, and his curveball is decent.
“It kind of gets your attention when a guy of that stature gets on the mound, and there is still some downhill angle and some real velocity,” said manager Clint Hurdle, who watched Escobar in Instructs. “He had a nice, natural stroke in the outfield — the ball came out clean, there was a high release, there was downhill angle. I’ve seen pitchers under 6 feet who’ve had some downhill angle. There can be a little bit of a different look.”
Escobar was a minor league free agent this past winter, but the Pirates were intrigued enough by his potential to quickly re-sign him. This spring, he’s pitched a total of two innings against the Red Sox and New York Yankees and allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts.
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OF Jared Oliva
Age: 23
How acquired: Seventh-round pick in 2017
2018: He played in 108 games with High-A Bradenton and slashed .275/.354/.424 with nine home runs. He led the Florida State League with 75 runs scored and was second with 33 stolen bases.
Rankings: MiLB Pipeline, No. 12; Baseball America, No. 19; Fangraphs, No. 11
Probable 2019 club: Altoona ETA in majors: 2021
“I’ve got kind of a different story than most pro ballplayers,” said Oliva, who has been called up from minor league camp for a couple of games already this spring.
Oliva was left off the varsity team as a sophomore at Valencia (Calif.) High School. He made the cut his final two years, but played sparingly and was not drafted. He joined the team at the University of Arizona as a walk-on.
“When I showed up in the fall, there were 50 dudes trying to make a 35-man roster,” said Oliva, who red-shirted as a freshman. Despite the setbacks. Oliva didn’t give up on baseball.
“My dad and uncle both played pro ball, so it’s in our family,” Oliva said. “It’s in my blood. It would be hard to give up on that dream.”
Oliva’s father, Dave, made it as high as Double-A in the Boston Red Sox system. His uncle, Steve, played four seasons in the low minors in the late 1970s.
Things began to click for Oliva during his second year at Arizona. He produced three multi-RBI games in the College World Series and was named to the all-tournament team. As a junior, he batted .321 with an .883 OPS and caught the attention of Pirates scouts.
Last year with High-A Bradenton, Oliva was moved into the leadoff spot, put up a .354 on-base percentage and swiped 33 bases. Working with coaches Butch Wynegar and Adam Godwin (who’s now with the Philadelphia Phillies), Oliva began taking a deeper dive into analytics.
“They gave me all this info and put the ball in my court, as far as what I wanted to look at,” Oliva said. “Those things were more advanced than in years past when I just relied on my athletic ability as an outfielder. Now, it’s about how can I get an edge? How can I get a couple more steps advantage? It’s been fun learning because each day is a new challenge.”
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Evaluators say Oliva profiles as a backup in the majors — a center fielder with good range and a strong arm. Only a fourth outfielder? Oliva smiled. He’s outperformed modest expectations before.
“I feel like I have a leg up when it comes to the adversity part because I’ve been there when I was 15-16 years old, facing the question of how much do I want to play this game,” Oliva said. “I won’t say it’s easier now, but it’s like I’ve been there before. I’ve faced all these things early on, so when it comes to the leadership part, I can relate to the guy who’s struggling.”
RHP Jesus Liranzo
How acquired: Claimed off waivers from Dodgers in April 2018
Age: 23
2018: In a combined 41 relief outings with Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, he went 2-3 with seven saves, a 3.95 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, 5.4 BB/9 and 10.3 K/9.
Rankings: MiLB Pipeline, unranked; Baseball America, unranked; Fangraphs, No. 35
Probable 2019 club: Indianapolis ETA in majors: 2020
Liranzo’s has a good slider and a splitter, but his four-seamer is the attention-getter because it can sit around 99 mph and occasionally has topped 100 mph.
“When it happens, it’s pretty fun,” Liranzo said. “A couple of guys, the shortstop or maybe somebody in our dugout, will always shout, ‘Wow!’ I try to tune it out, though, so I can stay focused on the game.”
According to Baseball America, 62 minor league pitchers touched 100 mph last season. It’s the lowest total over the past three years, although BA admits it probably has missed a few pitchers during its accounting. Pirates farm director Larry Broadway doesn’t believe 100 mph pitchers are disappearing from the game.
“I think think they just don’t stay in the minor leagues that long,” Broadway said. “It comes in waves, like anything else. I still think it’s as much of a focus as it’s ever been. It’s pretty impressive when you can throw three digits up on the board.”
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Liranzo’s career has been erratic — he threw a total of just 13 2/3 innings over his first three seasons. Originally signed by the Atlanta Braves in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic, he was picked up a year later by the Baltimore Orioles. Elbow surgery cost him all of the 2014 season.
In 2016, Liranzo made a combined 27 outings at Single- and Double-A and had a 1.87 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP, and averaged 11.2 K/9. Yet, he also has been dogged by poor control, reflected by his 5.4 BB/9 rate. Liranzo has the velo to pitch in the majors, but will he must throw more strikes.
“With everything, there’s a tradeoff,” Broadway said. “If you want to get more velocity, is it coming away from something else? Is it coming away from command? From deception? I don’t think there’s an exact recipe.”
After the Pirates snatched Liranzo off waivers, he made nine scoreless appearances with Altoona (12 innings, 13.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9). His results after being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis were mixed (32 outings, 5.00 ERA 1.38 WHIP, 9.4 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9).
“We saw some strides,” Broadway said. “He’s more consistent with his lower half in his delivery, which has helped his timing. When you spray balls, it’s a product of an inconsistent release point. Timing up how the lower half and upper half work together has helped him get more consistent out front. We’re seeing more strikes.”
Each of Liranzo’s first two outings this spring was messy, even though he did not allow a run. He’s worked 3 1/3 innings, allowed three hits and four walks, has hit two batters with pitches and has gotten four strikeouts.
“He filled up every box except the run box,” Hurdle said. “This kid is full of adrenaline. He did show the ability to stay in the fight. We know from his history that fastball command is an area he needs to nail down.”
(Top photo of Elvis Escobar courtesy of Altoona Curve)