When it comes to the Pirates’ outfield, the picture is two-thirds of the way clear. The final third? That could go many ways.

The center-field competition at camp is more than a week deep, and if anything, the picture has become more complicated. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create uncertainty when projecting what the Opening Day roster might look like.

Here's how Pittsburgh's outfield picture looks at the moment.

Starters: Bryan Reynolds, Anthony Alford, Gregory Polanco
Reynolds and Polanco were the only two regular starters for the Pirates last season who posted batting averages under .200 -- .189 for Reynolds and .153 for Polanco -- but they’re also the two players in the outfield whose spots on the field seem secure.

Reynolds had hit .300 or better at every stop in his pro career before the shortened 2020 season. He’s also the candidate most familiar with the cavernous left field at PNC Park. Polanco, when healthy, has shown he’s able to produce scorching exit velocity numbers with his bat. If he isn’t hampered by the left shoulder trouble that’s stung him since '18, he could have a full and productive season.

The biggest question is, who plays center? Alford, who was seen as the likely starter entering Spring Training, was eased into fielding after undergoing right elbow surgery near the end of last season, but he’s back playing with no restrictions, as he showed with an amazing diving catch in the Pirates' 7-5 win over the Orioles on Thursday. He’s got the edge for now unless he’s outperformed as spring goes on.

Backups: Brian Goodwin, Dustin Fowler
Goodwin and Fowler have entered the outfield mix since pitchers and catchers reported, with Goodwin coming over on a Minor League deal on Feb. 11 and Fowler being acquired from the A’s on Feb. 24. Both are options at all three outfield positions, though both came through Minors as center fielders.

With Goodwin on a Minor League deal, the Pirates could choose to hold him at Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the season to see how Alford and Fowler play out at the Major League level. Goodwin showed consistent hitting with the Angels from 2019-20, when he posted a .795 OPS.

Fowler struggled when the A’s gave him the starting job in center field in 2018, batting .224 with six homers in 69 games, but he was also coming back from a devastating right knee injury sustained in his MLB debut with the Yankees in '17. In camp, the former Top 100 prospect has produced 100+ mph exit velocities, and he said he feels more free at the plate with a better opportunity to make the team.

Depth: Troy Stokes Jr., Cole Tucker
The Pirates claimed Stokes off waivers from the Tigers in January, designated him for assignment, then gave him a non-roster invite to Spring Training. He's a basestealing threat with some power potential (20 homers in 2017, then 19 in '18 in the Minors), and he saw fairly consistent game action in the opening days of spring games.

With the options listed above and one more to come who could see time this year in the outfield, it seems unlikely Tucker will get as many reps in the outfield as he did in 2020. The natural shortstop has been somewhat blocked out of his position by Kevin Newman and Erik González, who have edged Tucker in offensive production, but the Pirates still want to see what Tucker is capable of at the Major League level. That could mean filling him in again in the outfield, but he entered camp working at shortstop, so time will tell how many reps he’ll see at one vs. the other.

In the pipeline: Jared Oliva, Travis Swaggerty, Oneil Cruz (maybe)
Oliva, the Pirates’ No. 12 prospect, is the most likely of these three to get starting time in the outfield during the 2021 season. He made his debut last season and hit 3-for-16 with a stolen base in six games. The cluster of options at center field, where Oliva has largely worked, means Oliva has a high likelihood of beginning the year in the Minors, but he could be promoted just as quickly.

• Oliva 'on a mission' to make impact for Bucs

Swaggerty has gotten reps in Grapefruit League games as the team evaluates how he fares against Major League competition, but the Pirates’ No. 7 prospect will not start in the big leagues, and it’s uncertain he will be called up at any point this year. This is not a knock on Swaggerty, who is an athletic fielder with solid hitting ability, but he has yet to play above High A and the club will want to see if the changes he made to his swing in Bradenton stick.

Cruz is the wild card of the outfield picture. He’s a shortstop. The Pirates see him as a shortstop. He sees himself as a shortstop. Yet with an incredible arm and a 6-foot-7 frame, the club's No. 3 prospect has been given reps in the outfield this spring, including at center field. If Cruz can harness his raw power, his bat will play anywhere, and with plenty of options at shortstop right now, his best shot of making the Major League team will be through versatility -- at least in the short term.