Frazier aims to improve as super-utility player

PITTSBURGH — Adam Frazier keeps it simple at the plate. He can summarize his entire offensive approach in a few seconds with a few key phrases. “Stay inside the baseball. Stay up the middle. Don’t try to pull the ball. Use the whole field.”

“If you keep it simple, it lessens your chance for mistakes that can go on inside your swing and your approach,” Frazier said. “The simpler it is, the better I feel.”

That mentality allowed Frazier to hit .301 with a .767 OPS this year, making a smooth transition to the Majors. But the rookie found that defense in the big leagues was not so straightforward, especially not when he was fielding three positions on a regular basis and preparing to fill in everywhere else if needed.

Still, the Pirates see Frazier developing into an above-average defender at multiple positions and playing a valuable super-utility role off the bench next season.

“We do,” manager Clint Hurdle said, “and we’re going to exhaust every opportunity to find out if we’re right or not.”

Though he surpassed expectations offensively, Frazier struggled at times in the field. The 24-year-old rookie committed six errors in 293 innings, posted a .933 fielding percentage and finished …

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