Polanco’s promotion shows Pittsburgh Pirates’ youth movement starting to pay dividends

The Pittsburgh Pirates can be accused of many things, but overspending is not one of them.
The Pirates have long been one of the most frugal franchises in Major League Baseball. Whether out of an unwillingness or an inability to invest heavily in the team, ownership has preferred to focus on scouting and drafting players rather than spending on free agents.
This approach has taken odd forms, at times. It was the Pirates who were the driving force behind the "Million Dollar Arm" project, the effort to unearth baseball talent in India via a reality television show that brought Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel into Pittsburgh's minor-league system. While neither has blossomed into a talent worthy of the project's title, Singh did have the chance this year to experience a common aspect of major-league life – having reconstructive surgery on his elbow.
For all the jokes at their expense, the Pirates are no longer a laughing matter at the top level. Last year brought a second-place finish in the National League Central and the franchise's first post-season berth since 1992, and the emphasis on homegrown talent is starting to come good.
Andrew McCutchen was one of the biggest stories of last season, being named the NL Most Valuable Player for his role in the Pirates' resurgence. This season could prove even more fruitful as McCutchen has been joined in the outfield by two up-and-coming talents – Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco. Marte has endured an uneven year while attempting to improve upon his breakout 2013 season, but Polanco, 22, has captured the imagination of fans since being called up on Tuesday.
Polanco, rated the 10th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America, dominated at the Triple-A level and would have reached the majors sooner if not for financial considerations. The 1.93-metre, 100-kilogram Dominican has been compared to everyone from McCutchen to former Pittsburgh and San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds. Three unimpressive games to start his MLB career were quickly forgotten on Friday as Polanco went 5-for-7, including a go-ahead, two-run home run, in an 8-6 win over the Miami Marlins.
The best news for Pirates fans is that this outfield trio should be around for quite some time. McCutchen and Marte are on six-year contracts, and Polanco is also under team control for six seasons.
Rene Gayo, Pittsburgh's director of Latin American scouting, reportedly secured Polanco's services for US$150,000 (Dh551,000) and signed Marte for a knock-down US$80,000. Obviously, it is still early days, and the list of youngsters expected to be the Next Big Thing only to wash out is long but, for now, value for money appears to be among the least of Pittsburgh's worries.
pfreelend@thenational.ae
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