Poll: What Should The Cubs Do With Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki?
The Cubs kicked off the 2026 season with a pair of notable extensions. They locked up star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and veteran second baseman Nico Hoerner on contracts that will keep both players in town through the end of the 2032 season. Even after extending Hoerner (who was a pending free agent prior to signing), however, the Cubs are in position to lose a lot of talent this offseason. Sixty percent of the club’s starting rotation (Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon) is slated to hit free agency after the season. This is also catcher Carson Kelly‘s final year under contract.
The most notable players the team stands to lose to free agency, however, are Crow-Armstrong’s partners in the outfield: left fielder Ian Happ and right fielder Seiya Suzuki. Whether a deal will come together with either Happ or Suzuki remains to be seen. As of two months ago, both Happ and Suzuki indicated that they had not spoken to the Cubs about extensions yet. That can change with one phone call, of course, but there’s been no evidence to this point that the sides have engaged in talks so far. On the surface, the argument for extending one or both of the team’s corner outfielders seems fairly obvious: both have been consistently productive for Chicago.
Happ is now in his tenth season as a major league player, and he’s never posted a below average season by measure of wRC+ in that time. Since the departure of the core that won the World Series in 2016, Happ has been the club’s longest-tenured player and a consistent presence on offense. From 2022 onwards, he’s slashed .250/.346/.435 (119 wRC+) overall with remarkable year-to-year consistency. His wRC+ has fallen between 116 and 122 in each of the last four years, and on defense each of those seasons has ended with him being awarded the NL’s Gold Glove for his work in left field. Aside from his on-field value, Happ also holds a meaningful place in Cubs history with a chance to finish the year in the franchise’s top 10 all time for home runs.
Suzuki, on the other hand, joined the Cubs after coming over from Japan ahead of the 2022 season and has only improved across his four years with the club. A career .269/.346/.472 (127 wRC+) hitter in the majors, he’s been arguably the Cubs’ most productive bat during his time with the club. Since arriving in the majors in 2022, Suzuki’s the 11th-best outfielder in the majors by wRC+ (minimum 1500 plate appearances). That puts him just behind Byron Buxton and Julio Rodriguez, sitting just ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Corbin Carroll. Those are middle-of-the-order superstars that Suzuki is rubbing elbows with from a statistical perspective, and that sort of impact can be tough to replace.
That’s not to say extending either player is necessarily a slam-dunk decision, as both certainly come with flaws. Both will celebrate their 32nd birthdays in August, putting them near the end of their prime years. Neither is exactly a complete player, either. Suzuki’s offensive impact cannot be denied, but his defensive struggles in the outfield are well-documented and led to him spending most of the 2025 campaign as the club’s DH. He’s also struggled to stay healthy in the majors, having only played 150 games once in his career. He already started 2026 on the injured list due to a knee injury he suffered during the World Baseball Classic.
Happ, on the other hand, is a more well-rounded player but the offensive production he offers is a lot easier to come by. Taylor Ward, Teoscar Hernandez, Brendan Donovan, Jarren Duran, Anthony Santander, Randy Arozarena, and Brandon Nimmo are all within three points of Happ’s wRC+ from 2022-25 in one direction or the other. All of those players are quality pieces, but that group is undeniably a step down from the rarefied air Suzuki’s numbers put him in.
One key factor that has not yet been mentioned regarding the Cubs’ decisions on Suzuki and Happ is the availability of quality alternatives. Arozarena is set to reach free agency this year and is comparable to Happ and Suzuki in terms of both age and productivity, but they’re undoubtedly the top three corner outfielders on the market this winter. Players like Trent Grisham and Ramon Laureano lack the lengthy track records offered by Happ and Suzuki, while someone like George Springer comes with even more substantial age-related concerns given that he’ll turn 37 this September. If the Cubs are going to dip into free agency for outfield help this winter, they’ll be hard pressed to find an upgrade over the guys they already have.
In terms of internal options to replace the duo, the Cubs are quite thin. Top outfield prospect Owen Caissie was dealt to Miami over the offseason to land Edward Cabrera. Kevin Alcantara is a well-regarded prospect currently hitting very well at Triple-A, but the 23-year-old has struggled in limited chances in the majors and draws significant value from his defense in center field, a position he won’t play on a team that features Crow-Armstrong. 2025 first-rounder Ethan Conrad is very well-regarded in prospecting circles but still years away from the majors. Matt Shaw was displaced from third base by the addition of Alex Bregman and has gotten some reps in right field while Suzuki is on the shelf, but he was a below-average offensive player last year and had no experience in the outfield before this spring.
How do MLBTR readers think the Cubs should handle the outfield corners going forward? Should they extend one or both of their current veterans, or let them both walk in free agency? Have your say in the poll below:
How should the Cubs approach Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ's futures?
The Opener: Red Sox, Brewers, A’s, MLBTR Chat
Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:
1. Red Sox, Brewers face off amid tense series:
The Red Sox and Brewers played last night, and right-hander Brandon Woodruff hit veteran first baseman Willson Contreras with a pitch. Contreras, who had spent the entirety of his career prior to this season in the NL Central, has been plunked by the Brewers 24 times in his career, including six by Woodruff specifically. That was enough to raise tensions on the field, and after the game both Contreras and a handful Brewers players commented on the situation (as relayed by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe).
“The 24th time, it’s not [a] coincidence,” Contreras said, as relayed by Healey. “They’re going there with a purpose. And that’s fine, that’s pitching. But next time you hit me, the message is clear: I’m going to take one of them out.”
Brewers veteran Christian Yelich was nonplussed by Contreras’s comments. “We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years. It’s nothing new. Not surprising. You just keep it rolling. You got a game to win and lock the boys in, rally the troops.”
All of this sets up an interesting game between the clubs later today. At 6:45pm local time in Boston this evening, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet will take the mound opposite hard-throwing righty Jacob Misiorowski. Crochet fell just shy of the AL Cy Young award last year and has a 3.27 ERA through two starts. Misiorowski, for his part, received an All-Star nod in his rookie season last year and has now posted a 2.45 ERA in his own first two starts of the year.
2. A’s 40-man roster move incoming:
The A’s are expected to select the contract of right-hander Joel Kuhnel later today. Before they can do that, however, they’ll need to create a spot on the 40-man roster for him. Right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is the only player on the club’s injured list at the moment. It’s unclear when exactly the right-hander will return from his current back injury, but he isn’t a known candidate for the 60-day injured list at this point. Barring a surprise transfer for Hoglund or a surprise trade that clears 40-man roster space, the A’s will have to designate a player for assignment today. That move can be expected sometime this afternoon, given that the club is slated to play their next game at 7:05pm local time in New York against the Yankees.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
The regular season is in full swing at this point, with some clubs (like the 6-5 Angels) exceeding expectations in the early going while others (like the 2-8 Red Sox) have struggled unexpectedly out of the gate. Whether you’re wondering what to expect from your team this year or just trying to separate the contenders from the pretenders, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco has you covered with a live chat at 11:00am CT this morning. You can click here to leave a question in advance. That same link will also allow you to follow along with the chat live when things get underway and view a transcript of the chat after it concludes.
Padres Notes: Adam, Canning, Waldron
The Padres have been without veteran right-hander Jason Adam so far this season as he works his way back from last year’s quadriceps surgery. While that blow to the bullpen has been manageable with elite arms like Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon holding things down, Adam is a big part of the San Diego relief corps after posting a 2.07 ERA with a 3.20 FIP in 256 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2022 season. Looking more specifically at Adam’s time with the Padres, his numbers are an even more dominant 1.66 ERA and 2.89 FIP.
It’s exciting news, then, for the Padres that Adam is nearing a return. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Adam pitched on back-to-back days over the weekend in his rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso. Sanders adds that Adam could be activated when he’s first eligible to come off the shelf on April 8, but that it’s also possible that the club will wait until April 9, when they’ll be back in San Diego for a series against the Rockies. Whenever Adam does wind up returning, it’ll be a huge boost to a Padres bullpen that has gotten lackluster performances from Jeremiah Estrada and Wandy Peralta in the early going.
As Adam’s rehab assignment nears its conclusion, right-hander Griffin Canning‘s is getting underway. Sanders notes that Canning allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings of work over the weekend with four strikeouts on 51 pitches. That leaves him with some building up left to do before he’s ready to make the jump back to the majors as a starter, but after signing a $2.5MM deal with San Diego during the offseason, the righty seems very likely to be in the Padres’ starting rotation once he is ready to go. That’s for good reason, seeing as he turned in a very respectable 3.77 ERA in 16 starts last year before suffering the achilles injury he’s currently working his way back from. That’s the production of a solid back-of-the-rotation starter, and if he can match those numbers he’ll be a huge asset to a Padres rotation that looks like the team’s biggest weakness early in 2026.
If the Padres are looking for more immediate help in the rotation, however, they might first turn to knuckleballer Matt Waldron. The 29-year-old underwent minor surgery in February and has made two rehab starts to get built up into regular season form after missing some of Spring Training. He’s looked phenomenal in those rehab starts so far, with a 39.1% strikeout rate in seven scoreless innings. Waldron has built up to 61 pitches so far and will be in line for his next rehab start later this week. The righty has a 4.86 ERA for his career in the majors and could be a real option for the club’s rotation either in the event of an injury or continued struggles from the current back-end duo of German Marquez and Walker Buehler after tough starts to the year for both players. JP Sears, Triston McKenzie, and Marco Gonzales are among the other depth options the Padres have at their disposal in the rotation.
Red Sox Send Patrick Galle To Cardinals As PTBNL In Sonny Gray Trade
The Red Sox announced today (as relayed by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, among others) that they’ve sent right-hander Patrick Galle to the Cardinals to complete their trade for veteran righty Sonny Gray from this past offseason. Galle joins right-handers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to make up the complete return for Gray. The Cardinals subsequently announced that Galle has been assigned to Single-A Palm Beach.
Galle, who celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday, joins the Cardinals organization after spending less than a year in the Red Sox organization. A 17th-round pick by the club during last year’s draft, Galle pitched just 11 innings in relief during his two years with the University of Mississippi during college. He’s spent his entire professional career to this point at the Single-A level, and he’s pitched to a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings of work. He’s posted a strikeout rate of just 11.4% with a 20% walk rate. Those are lackluster numbers to be sure, and at 22 years old it’s an open question if Galle will ever develop enough to make it to the majors. With that being said, the righty hasn’t spent much time in professional ball at this point, and it’s possible that getting into a new organization that has pivoted to have such a strong focus on player development could be just what Galle needs to take a big step forward.
The deal completes a trade for Gray that helped to patch up a Red Sox rotation that was not only losing Lucas Giolito to free agency but had too often proven inconsistent in 2025 outside of staff ace Garrett Crochet. Gray’s numbers with Boston don’t exactly jump off the page through two starts, with a 4.50 ERA and 19% strikeout rate in ten unremarkable innings. The veteran’s track record as a consistent and durable above-average arm suggests that he’ll be a productive asset for the Red Sox this year, however, as long as he remains in good health. Turning to the Cardinals, Clarke has not yet made his organizational debut but Fitts has a very impressive 1.74 ERA across two outings for Triple-A Memphis so far this season.
Rays Activate Taylor Walls From IL, Option Carson Williams
The Rays are shuffling their infield mix this morning, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays that shortstop Taylor Walls is being activated from the injured list. Infield prospect Carson Williams is being optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Walls, 29, has been sidelined to this point in the year by a right oblique strain. He suffered the injury in late March and was expected to be sidelined for at least three to four weeks, but he seems to have beaten that timeline by a solid amount given that he’s returning just 18 days after the injury occurred. The infielder doesn’t offer much in the way of offense to the Rays, as a career .195/.286/.298 hitter who slashed just .220/.319/.380 last year. But he’s a consistent threat to steal 15 to 20 bases a year and plays strong defense at shortstop with +17 Defensive Runs Saved last year for his work at shortstop (and +18 DRS overall).
Walls’s return to the lineup ends Williams’s latest stay in the majors. The 22-year-old was the Rays’ first-round pick back in 2021 and made his MLB debut last year. In 39 games at the big league level, Williams has not yet had any success at the plate to speak of with just a .164/.209/.320 slash line across 131 plate appearances. That hasn’t stopped him from being a consensus top-100 prospect entering this year, but his rankings near the bottom of those lists are a far cry from the consensus top-10 status he had entering last year. That reflects real questions about if Williams will be able to hit in the majors after a rough start to his big league career and him hitting a mediocre .213/.318/.447 with a 34.1% strikeout rate even at Triple-A.
Those numbers won’t play in the majors, so it’s hardly a surprise that the Rays have opted to send their prized shortstop prospect back down to the minors in hopes that more time to develop will help him overcome his contact woes. If he can get back on track hitting-wise, the rest of the package is there for an elite shortstop. He’s got real power with 28 homers (48 extra-base hits) between Triple-A and the majors last year. He’s widely regarded as an excellent defender at shortstop who should have no issues sticking at the position. And his speed has allowed him to swipe between 20 and 30 bags every year. Plus defensive shortstops with 30/30 potential aren’t easy to come by, and one need look no further than the peak of someone like Javier Baez to see how productive a player can be even with a subpar hit tool.
For now, though, it’s only become clearer that Williams needs more time to develop at Triple-A. He should remain there for quite some time at this point, barring another injury to the club’s infield mix. Aside from second baseman Richie Palacios, who is already on the big league bench, non-roster veteran Logan Davidson and his career strikeout rate north of 40% in the majors are the closest thing to a next-man-up available in the Rays organization outside of Williams.
The Opener: Rays, Trout, Pitchers’ Duel
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Rays return to the Trop:
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is set to host its first MLB game since 2024 today. The renovations for the Rays’ current home stadium are now complete, and the club is poised to celebrate with a game against the Cubs later today. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10pm local time, with staff ace Shane McClanahan set to make his second start of the year after returning to the big league mound for the first time since 2023 last week. McClanahan’s opponent will be veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon, who pitched around plenty of traffic on the basepaths to post 4 2/3 scoreless frames for the Cubs his last time out. As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, gates will open at 2:10pm local time for today’s game and fans are asked to be in their seats by 3:30pm local time for pregame ceremonies.
2. Trout day-to-day:
Future Hall of Famer Mike Trout has begun the season healthy, which is good news on its own given how often he’s been injured in recent years. Better yet, he’s looking good at the plate with a .212/.435/.424 slash line and a strikeout rate of just 26.1% after punching out more than 30% of the time last year and posting a career-low wRC+ of 120. While Trout seems to be back to something resembling his old self, Angels fans got a big scare yesterday when he left the game after being hit by a pitch on his hand. Fortunately, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (among others) relayed yesterday that x-rays on Trout’s hand came back negative, and that he’s day-to-day after the incident. Trout noted to reporters (including Bollinger) that his hand was swollen after the incident. While it’s fortunate he appears to have avoided a serious injury, he still might be sidelined for a couple of days or so if the swelling persists. If Trout does end up missing time, Bryce Teodosio could get some looks in center field.
3. Pitchers’ duel today in the AL West:
An early meeting between two division rivals will see two of the most impressive pitchers in baseball face off on the mound today. The Mariners are headed to Globe Life Field in Texas for a 7:05pm local time game against the Rangers, and Seattle will be sending star right-hander Logan Gilbert to the mound coming off a 2025 season where he was limited to just 25 starts but turned in a solid 3.44 ERA with a 3.35 FIP. He’ll be facing off against veteran righty Jacob deGrom, who enjoyed his first healthy season in years last season and managed a 2.97 ERA in 172 2/3 innings of work that year. So far, neither deGrom nor Gilbert has gotten the results they’ve wanted in 2026, though they’ve gotten strong peripheral results. Will one or both be able to turn those peripherals into production tonight?
Astros Place Hunter Brown On Injured List With Shoulder Strain
1:40pm: Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle relays that, according to manager Joe Espada, Brown felt off during his throwing program on Friday and underwent imaging before returning to Houston to be evaluated by team doctors. It’s possible the Astros will have a clearer picture of Brown’s timeline for return once he’s been more thoroughly examined by the team’s medical staff.
12:44pm: The Astros are placing right-hander Hunter Brown on the injured list due to a right shoulder strain. Right-hander Christian Roa was recalled to the majors to replace Brown on the roster.
Brown, 27, broke out last year to become one of the top pitchers in the entire sport. In 31 starts last year, Brown pitched to a 2.43 ERA and struck out opponents at a 28.3% clip. He earned his first career All-Star nod and finished third behind Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet in the AL Cy Young award race. Through two starts this year, he was arguably even better with a 0.84 ERA in 10 2/3 innings with a 39.5% strikeout rate. After losing Framber Valdez to free agency over the offseason, the Astros entered the year counting on Brown to lead their rotation as they look to make their way back into the postseason picture.
All of that is now on hold for the time being. While it’s unclear just how much time Brown should be expected to miss, even a minimum stint on the shelf constitutes a big blow to the Astros. A longer one could be devastating. Mike Burrows, Tatsuya Imai, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. make up the rest of Houston’s Opening Day rotation. Burrows has significant upside but has struggled so far this year. McCullers looked quite good in his first start of the year last week but pitched to a 6.15 ERA last season and last threw even 60 innings at the big league level back in 2021. Javier offered reasons for optimism after returning from Tommy John surgery last year but has been shelled for six earned runs in each of his first two starts this season. Losing Brown from the top of a rotation that already has so many question marks is going to be hard to stomach.
In the long-term, the Astros figure to turn to a depth option like Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon, or perhaps even prospect Miguel Ullola to fill the void. The good news for Houston is that they’ve shown a remarkable ability to weather the storm of rotation injuries in recent years, getting passable or better production from little-known youngsters and depth pieces. Arrighetti has a bit more name recognition than that after a solid start to his career, and after two scoreless starts at Triple-A to open the season he seems likely to be the Astros’ first choice to replace Brown. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart writes that the Astros were expected to a move to a six-man rotation this week prior to the news regarding Brown thanks to an upcoming stretch in the schedule where they play 13 consecutive games without a day off. If that’s still the plan, the Astros will need to turn to multiple Triple-A arms to fill out a rotation that now has just four active members.
For now, however, the team is turning to Roa to fill Brown’s roster spot. Brown’s spot in the rotation won’t come up until tomorrow, and so the Astros can afford to give their bullpen some extra depth for the time being as they figure out what direction they want to go in with Brown sidelined. Roa surrendered a run in 1 1/3 innings of work during his first stint with the club earlier this year and has a career 2.08 ERA in four appearances after briefly making his big league debut as a member of the Marlins last year. The righty sports a career 4.52 ERA in 171 2/3 innings of work as a swing man at the Triple-A level, and while he won’t be an impact arm for the Astros he should be capable of eating innings in long or middle relief for the club over the next few days as they figure out their longer-term pitching plan.
Cardinals Select Jared Shuster
The Cardinals are selecting the contract of left-hander Jared Shuster, as relayed by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Lefty Nick Raquet was designated for assignment in the corresponding move, while right-hander Chris Roycroft was optioned to the minor leagues.
Shuster, 27, was once a first-round pick by Atlanta back in 2020. He made his big league debut in 2023 to some fanfare, although he ultimately struggled with a lackluster 5.81 ERA and 5.38 FIP in 11 starts for the Braves that year. Shuster was traded to the White Sox as part of the Aaron Bummer deal prior to the 2024 season, and with the White Sox he pitched primarily out of the bullpen. Across two years in Chicago, Shuster posted a 4.96 ERA with a 4.30 FIP in 89 innings split between six starts and 45 relief outings. His numbers were even lackluster at Triple-A, and Shuster eventually found himself designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster. He posted a 6.94 ERA in 35 Triple-A innings last year between the White Sox and Athletics organizations.
Headed into 2026, Shuster signed with the Cardinals on a minor league deal but was unable to secure a spot on the roster during Spring Training after surrendering five runs in five innings of work throughout camp. Shuster has made just one appearance at Triple-A Memphis since then, where he surrendered four runs on five hits (including a home run) in three innings of work. Lackluster as his results have been at all levels in recent times, however, the Cardinals have still opted to turn to him as a short-term innings eater for their bullpen.
Making room for Shuster on the 40-man roster is Raquet, a 30-year-old lefty who made his big league debut for the Cardinals last year. He threw two scoreless innings in the majors but struggled at Triple-A last year, with a 5.19 ERA across 17 1/3 innings of work. While Raquet both posted decent enough numbers during Spring Training and at Triple-A so far this year, that wasn’t enough to hold onto his roster spot. The Cardinals will now have one week to either trade Raquet or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed by the rest of the league, the former third-round pick by the Nationals can be outrighted to the minors as non-roster depth for St. Louis for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
As for Roycroft, the righty has cobbled together 58 2/3 innings of work for the Cardinals in an up-and-down relief role over the past three seasons. He’s struggled to a 5.98 ERA in those outings, but as an optionable relief arm who’s still on the right side of 30 he could continue getting chances when the Cardinals bullpen needs an extra arm throughout the year. For now, he’ll head to Triple-A (where he has a career ERA of 3.85) to await his next opportunity in the big leagues.
Angels Designate Joey Lucchesi For Assignment
The Angels announced this afternoon that they’ve designated southpaw Joey Lucchesi for assignment. Right-hander George Klassen has been selected from the minors to replace Lucchesi on the active and 40-man rosters.
Lucchesi, 33 in June, has been in the majors for parts of eight seasons at this point. The veteran southpaw began his career back in 2018 as a starter for the Padres, but after two seasons of solid enough back-of-the-rotation production (97 ERA+, 4.24 FIP) he fell off the map somewhat. He made just three MLB appearances in 2020 and was dealt to the Mets in the three-team Joe Musgrove deal prior to the 2021 season. As a member of the Mets, Lucchesi was used as an optionable starter who spent much of his time in the minors. He spent four years in the organization (including a 2022 campaign lost to Tommy John surgery) and in that time continued to pitch at a more or less league average level in spot starts, with a 3.79 ERA and 4.02 FIP across 95 1/3 innings of work when in the majors.
After electing free agency prior to the 2025 season, Lucchesi signed on with the Giants as a non-roster invite to Spring Training. He didn’t initially make the team but made his way to the majors around midseason, and upon arriving pitched mostly in short-inning relief for San Francisco. He posted a 3.76 ERA with a 3.97 FIP across 38 1/3 innings of work for the club in 2025 but struggled late in the year and found himself non-tendered back in November. After initially re-signing with the Giants, he was released after failing to make the club out of Spring Training and landed a big league deal with the Angels. Unfortunately for the lefty, his stint in Anaheim lasted just three appearances. He struggled to a 7.71 ERA in 2 1/3 innings of work before being let go by the Angels. They’ll now have one week to try and work out a trade for him or pass him through waivers. If he makes it through waivers unclaimed, he’ll have the opportunity to elect free agency and return to the open market.
As for Klassen, the righty was acquired by the Angels in the Carlos Estevez trade with the Phillies back in 2024. Klassen spent his first full season in the Angels organization mostly at the Double-A level with lackluster results, including a 5.35 ERA in 24 starts. He’s made two starts at the Triple-A level between last season and this year, however, and in those outings he’s looked quite good with a 28.9% strikeout rate and just three earned runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings of work. That was enough for an Angels organization that has long been aggressive with prospect promotions to give the righty a look in the majors, and he’ll get his first look in the big leagues today with a start against the Mariners. For now, Klassen’s role appears to be that of a spot starter, but if he performs it would be easy to imagine the Angels finding a way to make room for him in their rotation mix.
Pirates Place Jared Triolo On 10-Day Injured List
11:45am: Pirates GM Ben Cherington spoke about Triolo’s injury on his radio show, as noted by Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and noted that Triolo figures to miss “weeks” due to the injury as opposed to days. That more or less rules out a minimum stint on the shelf, but at least seems to indicate that the expectation isn’t that the infielder’s injury will cost him multiple months.
10:27am: The Pirates announced this morning that they’ve placed infielder Jared Triolo on the 10-day injured list due to patellar tendon injury in his right knee. Outfielder Billy Cook was recalled to the majors in a corresponding move.
The news comes just days after Triolo moved into a new role as the team’s starting third baseman after being bumped off shortstop in favor of top prospect Konnor Griffin. Triolo ultimately wound up making just one start at the hot corner before hitting the shelf. Kevin Gorman of TribLive reports that Triolo’s injury occurred while running the bases on Friday. The infielder did not play Saturday in what at first looked like a routine day of rest but now appears to have been an effort to give Triolo a day to recover before a potential IL decision.
Even with Griffin now in the majors, losing Triolo is a real blow for the Pirates. He’s gotten off to a slow start this year with a wRC+ of just 71 in six games, but he’s proven to be a solid and dependable role player for Pittsburgh in recent years thanks to his ability to play solid defense all over the infield while hitting within spitting distance of league average. Triolo figured to get the lion’s share of reps at third base now that Griffin has shortstop locked down, but with him headed to the shelf for an uncertain length of time the position now figures to be split between Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke.
Gonzales’s 86 wRC+ for his career is no better than Triolo’s and he lacks significant experience at the hot corner, but he has gotten off to a hot start at the plate (120 wRC+) this year and is a former top prospect who has long been looked at as a possible breakout hitter. As for Yorke, he was once a first-round pick by the Red Sox but got traded to Pittsburgh prior to his big league debut in 2024. He has just 38 games in the majors on his resume and is just as inexperienced at third base as Gonzales, but he too is off to a hot start with a 137 wRC+ in his first five games. Triolo’s injury, then, serves as a prime opportunity for either Gonzales or Yorke to step up and claim the third base position if one of them can prove capable at the position defensively and sustain their hot start to the year.
As for Cook, the 27-year-old has just 22 games and 55 plate appearances in his career. He’s hit .236/.236/.436 in those limited opportunities, but he has hit a respectable enough .264/.352/.440 in 197 games at Triple-A. He’s stolen 94 bags over the past four seasons, and that combination of speed on the bases and at least solid offensive numbers in the minors leaves a path for him to be an effective fourth outfielder in the majors. Perhaps he’ll see time as a defensive replacement in the Pirates’ outfield, given that all three of Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn, and Bryan Reynolds are unimpressive defenders on the grass.