The Pirates have signed Josh Fields to a minor-league deal, the team tweets. Fields plays third and the outfield and looks like pretty pure AAA fodder, although he's managed about 800 career plate appearances with the White Sox and Royals. He missed much of the 2010 season after having hip surgery. He has struggled to hit for average in the big leagues, doesn't have overly impressive AAA numbers and apparently isn't much with the glove. He has a bit of home-run power, but that's about it. If he ends up in Pittsburgh this year, that's a bad sign.