New Pirate Brian Goodwin hopes to get last laugh in center field

Feb. 22—Brian Goodwin aced his first test as a Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder with the answer to why he was willing to sign with the team that finished with the worst record in baseball last season.

"I don't really see a reason to not like the opportunity here," Goodwin said on a video conference call Monday, the first day of full-squad spring training workouts at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.

"Any opportunity is a good opportunity, especially in a big league roster to be able to play every day. To have that chance and to have somebody that really believes that you can fill that role, it just boosts your confidence and makes you feel better about the situation you're stepping into and the team you're going to."

That was a stark contrast to Jarrod Dyson's "ain't too much out there right now" response last February, but it is safe to say Goodwin has learned to take the good with the bad and roll with it.

If nothing else, he knows the value of laughter in a locker room. So Goodwin came equipped with a quick wit and wisecracks, especially when asked what attributes the 30-year-old brings to the Pirates.

"Uh ... I'm good looking," Goodwin said with a smile. "No, I don't know, I think I bring energy to the field every day. I like to keep it loose, to smile, have fun. Smiles are contagious. It's easy to come and enjoy work and enjoy being in the locker room when you have people that make you comfortable, that you're comfortable around and enjoy seeing every day."

Goodwin saw a lot of familiar faces in his first practice with the Pirates, hitting coaches Jon Nunnally — his hitting coach in the Arizona Fall League in 2012 — and Christian Marrero and Jonny Tucker, both former teammates in the Nationals farm system, as well as former North Carolina teammates Colin Moran and Jacob Stallings. Asked for a memory of Stallings, Goodwin cracked, "That's a long time ago. Stallings had hair back then!"

"I love that guy," Stallings said last week. "We don't text a whole lot in-between seeing each other, but every time we see each other, you just have that old friend that things just pick up just the same as they were the last time you saw him. That's the way Brian is with me, just big hugs and he's always goofing around."

In Goodwin, the Pirates are taking a low-risk, high-reward approach to filling their opening in center field. If he makes the major league roster, Goodwin will earn $1.6 million with up to $900,000 in incentives. Goodwin's primary competition will be Anthony Alford and Jared Oliva, although Bryan Reynolds also can play center.

Finding a center fielder has been an issue since the Pirates traded two-time Gold Glove winner and former All-Star Starling Marte to Arizona for two prospects in January 2020. The Pirates signed Dyson for $2 million last spring in hopes he would add elite speed on defense and veteran leadership, only to see him hit .167. They traded Dyson to the Chicago White Sox last August for international bonus pool money.

A 2011 first-round pick by Washington, the 6-foot, 200-pound Goodwin is a career .250 hitter over five seasons with the Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds. His best season came in 2019 with the Angels, when he hit .262 with 29 doubles, three triples, 17 homers and 47 RBIs. Last season, split between the Angels and Reds, he batted .215 with nine doubles, six homers and 22 RBIs.

"I'm excited about that signing," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "Brian has the ability to play all three (outfield positions), has the ability to play center, left-handed bat. Great reports on him from the people that I've talked to in Cincinnati and Anaheim. From having a conversation with him, he's hungry for an opportunity to play."

Goodwin can play all three outfield positions, though he has played more in center (118) and left (114) than right field (52). He played 15 games at PNC Park over the years and has found that he likes it "a lot better with fans," adding that "Pittsburgh has great fans, actually."

When it comes to its outfield dimensions, Goodwin sounded like he'd prefer to play center field at PNC Park. And the Pirates have an opening between Reynolds in left and Gregory Polanco in right.

"For the most part, everybody's weary of that left-center field," Goodwin said. "We all know balls can go out there, and they can keep going for a long time and get lost. So you're always aware of that.

"I think I've played more left and center there than right. So I'm pretty much comfortable anywhere I go in center field, and I say that with confidence. Left is a little different, and then you add the gap in there (North Side Notch), and it makes it a little more challenging. But also, it gives you that room to run that you normally don't have in left field. So it can help in that aspect, too. Big outfield, a lot of room to run, a lot of room to make plays and as long as you've got the speed and the angles and the first step, you'll be in good shape."

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .