Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez will start camp in the mix at first base after struggling defensively at third base last season, committing 25 errors in 99 games. He'll just need to be adequate defensively at first base due to his offensive strength, the Associated Press reports.
"He's not the first player and he's not the last player that will go through a struggle," Pirates genearl manager Neal Huntington said. "He's not going to be the first and the last to come out of that struggle. We need to get him back to hitting balls in the seats."
Alvarez hit 36 home runs in 2013 while making his first appearance in the All-Star Game. His bat cooled off amid his defensive issues last season, and he hit just .231/.312/.405 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI in 398 at-bats. It's possible he platoons with Corey Hart at first base this season, though manager Clint Hurdle indicated in December that the plan was to use Alvarez every day at first base.