3 players who could replace Marte in Pirates' lineup
Starling Marte was quickly entrenching himself into the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder. His outlook was so bright that his presence and success had forced the team to move mainstay center fielder Andrew McCutchen to right field so Marte could patrol center.
After testing positive for nandrolone, Marte was suspended for 80 games, opening up both a roster spot and the starting job in center field. While McCutchen has re-landed the role in center for the time being, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, there are a number of internal options who could fill in, and some shuffling would be needed. Here are three options the team could consider from within and from without.
Austin Meadows - Outfielder
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The immediate thought among Pirates fans will be Meadows, the team's top hitting prospect, current starting center fielder at Triple-A Indianapolis, and seventh best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. Meadows hit Double-A pitching effectively through 2015 and 2016, posting batting averages above .300 both years.
Hold on, this isn't a gimme. Meadows has mostly bombed at Triple-A. He hit only .214 over 135 plate appearances last season, though he did post a 10.3 percent walk rate. It's been worse through 10 games in 2017. Meadows has slashed only .162/.220/.270 in 41 plate appearances. Despite the pedigree and the natural fit in center field, he may need more seasoning. Don't be surprised if he sticks around the minors a while longer.
Jose Osuna - 1st baseman
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The alignment looks like Adam Frazier will slot into the outfield from the Pirates' bench. If Frazier fails to impress, moving Josh Bell from first base to right field could make some sense. This would likely mean a move for John Jaso to the starting job in the interim.
Osuna was called up Tuesday afternoon and will be available for the game against the Cardinals off the bench. If Jaso and Bell struggle, Osuna could work his way into an extended audition, and could also conceivably take some reps in the outfield.
Osuna is hitting better than Meadows in the early going with a .250/.341/.389 slash line. He hasn't hit any home runs yet, but he managed seven of them over 63 games in 2016 at Triple-A when he also hit .291. He's walking more often this year and he has tallied five doubles. Should the Pirates become sellers, a role for the 24-year-old Osuna could be assured.
Tyler O'Neill - Mariners' outfield prospect
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The other option is to call it a day. Marte was one of the lone bright spots who could have potentially helped push the Pirates into a wild-card game out of sheer will. Even if the Pirates miraculously did weasel their way into the postseason now, Marte is ineligible to play because of the suspension. So, tear it down, trade McCutchen and possibly others, and start the rebuild in earnest.
While it's fruitless to predict other general manager's thought processes, one place that looks like a solid fit on paper is Seattle. No one in the Mariners' outfield is hitting, and McCutchen would be a huge upgrade on either Leonys Martin or Jarrod Dyson even if his skills are eroding. Getting outfield prospect O'Neill plus another top-20 prospect is worth pursuing.
The Mariners may consider calling upon O'Neill themselves, but as a team that aimed to contend this year, going with a more established name may be the more likely route. Top prospect Kyle Lewis is also worth asking about, but the Mariners will ask for the moon.