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.
Pirates Open To Adding Left Side Infielder, Rotation Depth
The Pirates finalized their two-year deal with Ryan O’Hearn on Thursday. That signing paired with the Brandon Lowe trade gives the Bucs a couple of middle-of-the-order bats from the left side.
General manager Ben Cherington spoke with reporters at O’Hearn’s introductory press conference and highlighted two areas the team is still looking to add. “If we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for. We’ll remain opportunistic in the outfield, see what comes our way,” the GM said (link via Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Cherington also said they’d like to “add back” to the pitching staff after they dealt Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo in the respective Lowe and Jhostynxon Garcia trades.
The left side of the infield is an expected target. Pittsburgh was involved on NPB third baseman Kazuma Okamoto before he signed a four-year contract with Toronto. They’ve been loosely linked to Eugenio Suárez, the second-best available free agent at the position after Alex Bregman. If Suárez’s asking price also proves too rich, the Bucs could look to a one-year deal for Yoán Moncada, Willi Castro or Ramón Urías.
It’d be more difficult to find an everyday answer at shortstop. There aren’t any free agent options beyond Bo Bichette, assuming they’re not interested in an Isiah Kiner-Falefa reunion. There hasn’t been any kind of trade market at the position. The Pirates would only be interested in a stopgap anyway. Konnor Griffin is arguably the best prospect in baseball. Pittsburgh hasn’t closed the door on him forcing his way to the big leagues out of Spring Training even though he only has 21 games of Double-A experience. Even if that’s too ambitious a timeline, he figures to be up at some point in 2026.
Unless Griffin breaks camp, they’re projected for a Nick Gonzales/Jared Triolo pairing on the left side. Gonzales is a former top 10 pick but has a middling .257/.300/.375 batting line in parts of three seasons. He’s miscast as a shortstop. Gonzales was drafted as a second baseman and has mostly played the keystone with varying reviews from scouts and defensive metrics. He has 230 MLB innings at shortstop and has only started one game at third base.
Adding a third baseman would allow the Bucs to use Triolo as their stopgap shortstop. The 27-year-old is a better defender at third base but has more shortstop experience than Gonzales. He also has the superior defensive grades as a second baseman. Triolo has a similarly light bat, carrying a .236/.320/.347 slash in three seasons. A strong second half (.276/.353/.422) has earned him multiple votes of confidence from Cherington, yet he’s not going to firmly stand in the way of an upgrade.
Suárez might be the only clear improvement on the free agent market among realistic targets for the Bucs. There’s still time for a late-offseason trade opportunity to present itself. The Phillies run at Bichette, for instance, would almost certainly lead to an Alec Bohm trade if a deal comes together.
Left field doesn’t seem to be as big a priority. Pittsburgh acquired Garcia and Jake Mangum via trade. O’Hearn has the ability to work as a semi-regular corner outfielder on top of his first base/DH split alongside Spencer Horwitz. Lowe has outfield experience as well, though Cherington said he’ll work as the primary second baseman. Pittsburgh also tendered a contract to Jack Suwinski, so he’s still in the mix as a depth piece.
Any rotation pickup is likely to be on a one-year deal late in the winter. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler are locked into the rotation. Braxton Ashcraft should be in there as well, though he worked in a swing role last season and only once pitched beyond five innings in a start. Rookies Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington would compete for the fifth starter role. Carmen Mlodzinski could get another look as a starter but struggled in that role early last season and worked 2-3 inning stints in the second half. Jared Jones will hopefully be back from elbow surgery by the All-Star Break.
There’s plenty of talent, but only Skenes and Keller are established sources of innings. Pittsburgh generally signs a fifth starter to a one-year contract worth $8MM or less. That’s often a soft-tossing lefty whom they can get for cheap and rely on PNC Park — the most difficult for right-handed home run power — to get decent results. Jose Quintana, Tyler Anderson, Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney and trade pickup Bailey Falter have all fallen in that bucket. Quintana, Anderson, Pérez and Patrick Corbin are speculative possibilities this offseason.
Pirates Hoping To Add “Proven Bat” Following Lowe Trade
The Pirates made a major addition to their offense yesterday when they swung a three-team trade with the Astros and Rays that saw them ship out right-hander Mike Burrows and acquire second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum, and left-hander Mason Montgomery. Lowe is the major prize of that trade as a former All-Star with eight years in the majors under his belt and a career wRC+ of 123, but even after bringing Lowe into the fold GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that the team hopes to add another “proven bat” to the roster this offseason beyond Lowe.
Bringing in offense to help support a rotation led by superstar righty Paul Skenes has long been the goal of Pittsburgh’s offseason. The Pirates finished 28th in the majors with a wRC+ of just 86 last year, and while bringing in a bat like Lowe to join Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds as a locked-in, everyday player should help, it won’t be enough to turn things around on its own. Lowe isn’t the only viable bat the team has brought in, of course; Mangum posted a decent 95 wRC+ in his rookie season with the Rays last year and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him and freshly-acquired prospect Jhostynxon Garcia split time in left for the Pirates this season. The possibility of top prospect Konnor Griffin making an impact as the team’s everyday shortstop can’t be ruled out, either.
Even with those youngsters potentially ready to help Lowe, Reynolds, Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, and Joey Bart fill out the lineup, however, questions remain. Lowe figures to get the majority of the reps at second base, pushing Nick Gonzales off of the position. Griffin’s eventual ascent to the MLB roster could, too, push Jared Triolo off the shortstop position. Cherington noted that both players are working out at second base and shortstop this offseason, with Triolo also taking reps at third base. With Triolo and Gonzales being joined by Lowe and (eventually) Griffin, the team’s middle infield mix seems fairly well-set for the time being.
The hot corner is perhaps the most unsettled position on the roster for the Pirates after Ke’Bryan Hayes was traded to Cincinnati last summer. That would be a logical place for the club to look for an addition, and so it’s perhaps no surprise that the club has been attached to players like Jorge Polanco (who has since signed with the Mets) and Kazuma Okamoto in free agency. The trade market offers fewer obvious options than free agency, though the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan is certainly flexible enough defensively to handle the hot corner and it’s not impossible to imagine the Phillies dealing away Alec Bohm. Internally, Triolo and perhaps Nick Yorke are options at the position, though the latter has only token experience there.
If adding a third baseman isn’t in the cards, that certainly doesn’t mean there’s no other way to add a bat. Andrew McCutchen‘s departure via free agency leaves the DH spot wide open. Perhaps the Pirates could look to add a DH outright to replace McCutchen as the simplest way to inject life into their offense. The club previously made a significant effort to pursue Kyle Schwarber, and while he’s now off the market Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently connected the Pirates to veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna, who posted a respectable 114 wRC+ even in a down season last year, would be a big upgrade to the Pirates lineup but would leave them with minimal versatility. Perhaps, then, adding an outfielder or first baseman to the mix who could pitch in defensively in addition to taking DH reps like Ryan O’Hearn could make more sense.
Perhaps the trade market could be an avenue to upgrade even if the club isn’t looking for a third baseman, as well. The Red Sox are known to be open to trading one of their controllable outfielders like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, although the rumored price tag is sky-high. The Mets are seemingly open to offers on infielder Mark Vientos, who has experience at third base but profiles better at first, and players like Steven Kwan and Alec Burleson could at least theoretically be available as well.
The problem with taking a big swing on the trade market, however, is that Cherington appears hesitant to deal more from the club’s rotation depth after already trading away Burrows and Johan Oviedo. As Alex Stumpf of MLB.com notes, even Cherington indicated an openness to adding a back-of-the-rotation starter to the mix as he expressed reluctance to trade away more of the club’s depth.
“You don’t ever wanna say never,” Cherington said, as relayed by Stumpf. “Don’t want to cut ourselves off to something that just really makes sense for the Pirates short term and long term. But it would have to clear a bar for sure. At this point it seems unlikely we would do that unless we saw a player coming back that was an immediate fit for the lineup and also with some confidence that we can add a starter back in a different way whether that was through trade or free agency. I think that’s possible.”
That’s not fully shutting the door on a trade of someone like Mitch Keller or Carmen Mlodzinski from the rotation, but it certainly appears to indicate there are real obstacles to pulling off that sort of move. If the Pirates were able to add more depth via free agency, that could more clearly open the door to a trade that sends a controllable pitcher out in exchange for an impact player like Duran or Donovan. Zack Littell, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Mahle are among the interesting rotation options available who could be within Pittsburgh’s price range, should they go hunting for an arm in free agency.
Pirates Outright Nick Solak
The Pirates announced that infielder Nick Gonzales has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Infielder/outfielder Nick Solak has been sent outright to Triple-A Indianapolis as a corresponding move. Solak has the right to elect free agency though the Bucs didn’t give any indication that he would do so. Righty Kyle Nicolas has also been recalled to take the roster spot vacated by Tanner Rainey being designated for assignment yesterday.
Solak, 30, was added to the roster just over two weeks ago. He didn’t get much action between then and now, getting just 11 plate appearances in four games. He recorded one hit, a single, and struck out twice. There wasn’t any previous indication he had been removed from the 40-man roster but it seems the Bucs quietly put him on waivers in recent days, presumably knowing that they would need a roster spot for Gonzales.
Once a notable prospect with the Rangers, Solak burst onto the scene in 2019 but has floundered in his subsequent big league appearances. He hit five home runs in his first 33 big league games while drawing walks at an 11.1% clip. That led to a .293/.393/.491 line and 126 wRC+ in that small sample. But in 850 plate appearances since that debut, he has hit .243/.314/.350 for a wRC+ of 86.
He only got into two big leagues games in 2023 and was stuck in the minors throughout 2024. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates coming into 2025 and put up a huge .393/.452/.625 line in 32 Triple-A games. That was surely inflated by a .422 batting average on balls in play but he also had six home runs and a 9.5% walk rate. That got him up to the majors but, as mentioned, he didn’t get to play much.
Solak is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors without clearing waivers. Despite his huge Triple-A numbers this year, no club put in a claim. Since he has a previous career outright, he could elect free agency, though he would surely be limited to minor league offers. Whether it’s with the Pirates or another club, he figures to be getting playing time in Triple-A while hoping for a better major league chance in the future.
As for Gonzales, he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle during the first game of the season and has been on the IL since then. The seventh overall pick of the 2020 draft, he hasn’t hit much in the majors yet, with a .256/.300/.392 line and 88 wRC+ in 518 plate appearances. However, he put up a huge .301/.392/.531 line and 134 wRC+ in Triple-A over 2023 and 2024.
He has played a few different spots on the diamond but more second base than anywhere else. Gonzales is one of seven players the Bucs have used at the keystone this year. Adam Frazier has gotten the most playing time but Jared Triolo, Enmanuel Valdéz, Liover Peguero, Tsung-Che Cheng and Solak have also factored in. No one in that group has taken hold of the position so Gonzales might get a chance to seize it now that he’s healthy.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Pirates Select Isaac Mattson
The Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Isaac Mattson. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow righty Colin Holderman, who lands on the 15-day injured list due to right thumb inflammation. To open a 40-man spot for Mattson, infielder Nick Gonzales was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relayed the Mattson and Holderman moves prior to the official announcement (link one, two and three).
It’s been an unfortunate season for Holderman so far, who already spent time on the IL due to a right knee sprain in April. He has allowed 15 earned runs in 15 innings, giving him a flat 9.00 earned run average. He has 11 strikeouts and walks apiece, giving him a 14.9% clip in both of those categories, both of those being worse than average.
Perhaps the injuries provide an explanation for his struggles, as he was far better in previous seasons. Over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, he had a 3.52 ERA in 107 1/3 innings, pairing a 24.6% strikeout rate with a 9.7% walk rate.
Ideally, a bit of a rest period will get him healthy and back on track. It’s turning into a lost season for the Bucs, as their 15-33 record has them near the National League basement, with only the Rockies beneath them. Holderman is under club control through 2028, so it would make sense to prioritize his long-term health as opposed to benefitting the team in the short term.
Taking his place is Mattson, who is having a strong 2025 so far. The 29-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in December and has been with Triple-A Indianapolis all year so far. He has logged 18 innings for that club with a 2.50 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate.
Those are encouraging numbers, though in a small sample. From 2021 to 2024, Mattson tossed 156 1/3 innings on the farm with a 3.91 ERA and 28.2% strikeout rate but a 13.7% walk rate. So far this year, he has basically cut that walk rate in half. If he can keep that up, perhaps he’ll get some runway to add to his major league track record, which currently consists of a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. However, he does have options, so it’s possible the Bucs shuttle him back to Indianapolis when they need a fresh arm.
As for Gonzales, he landed on the 10-day injured list on March 28th due to a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle. His 60-day count is retroactive to that initial IL placement, so he’ll be eligible to be reinstated about a week from today. He started a rehab assignment on Saturday but it seems the Bucs will let him get a few more minor league contests under his belt, which is understandable since he’s been out of action for close to two months.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Pirates Place Nick Gonzales On IL With Non-Displaced Ankle Fracture
The Pirates announced that second baseman Nick Gonzales is headed to the 10-day injured list after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle. Fellow infielder Enmanuel Valdez was recalled to take the active roster spot.
Gonzales made his first career Opening Day start at the keystone yesterday. He went 1-3, striking out twice before drilling a two-run home run to left field. That set up a bizarre home run trot, as an obviously hobbled Gonzales limped his way around the bases. The Pirates lifted him for defensive replacement Adam Frazier in the next half-inning. The team initially announced the injury as “recurrent left ankle discomfort,” so it seemingly predates that swing, but the pain clearly became too much to bear.
The seventh overall pick in 2020, Gonzales has appeared in parts of three MLB seasons. He hit .209 in 35 games two seasons ago. Gonzales turned in a nearly league average .270/.311/.398 slash with seven homers through 387 plate appearances last year. His power and walk rates were both middling, but he made enough contact to hit at a .270 clip. Among Pittsburgh hitters with 300+ plate appearances, only Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen were more productive offensive players by measure of wRC+.
An already light lineup takes a hit with Frazier now in line for the majority of the second base work. The veteran is coming off a .202/.282/.294 showing across 294 plate appearances with the Royals. Frazier was an All-Star during his first stint in Pittsburgh but has hit .236/.301/.336 since being traded to San Diego at the 2021 deadline. The Bucs brought him back on a $1.525MM free agent deal to work in a utility capacity. He’ll now be tasked with regular playing time while Gonzales is out. The Pirates haven’t announced a timetable, but even a non-displaced fracture is surely going to cost him more than the 10-day minimum.
Pittsburgh acquired Valdez from the Red Sox after Boston designated him for assignment in December. The career .235/.286/.400 hitter will work behind Frazier in a backup role and is in line for his team debut. They’re both left-handed hitters, so it’s unlikely to be a platoon. Frazier gets the nod tonight, hitting eighth against Miami righty Connor Gillispie.
Pirates Designate Jake Woodford For Assignment
The Pirates announced that they have placed catcher Joey Bart on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and recalled catcher Henry Davis, a swap that was reported yesterday. They also reinstated infielder Nick Gonzales from the injured list and designated right-hander Jake Woodford for assignment. Robert Murray of FanSided reported on X that Woodford was being designated for assignment prior to the official announcement. Prior to that, it was noted by members of the Pittsburgh beat that Woodford was clearing out his locker. Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was among those to pass that along on X.
Woodford, 27, was selected to the club’s roster at the end of July. He has since tossed 22 innings for the Bucs over six appearances, allowing 6.95 earned runs per nine. When combined with his time with the White Sox earlier this year, Woodford has an 8.01 ERA on the season.
It’s the second straight rough campaign for Woodford, who had previously posted some decent results with the Cardinals. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he tossed 116 innings for that club with a 3.26 ERA. His 15.4% strikeout rate in that time wasn’t special but he limited walks to a 7.5% clip and got grounders on 45.8% of balls in play. But his ERA jumped to 6.23 last year, which led the Cards to non-tender him, and his ERA has crept even higher here in 2024.
With the trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, the Pirates will have to place Woodford on waivers. Based on his struggles, the interest is likely to be minimal, meaning he should be a free agent in the coming days. When the White Sox designated him for assignment earlier this year, he passed through waivers unclaimed and then elected free agency, a right he had based on having at least three years of major league service time.
Pirates Place Nick Gonzales On 10-Day Injured List
The Pirates announced this afternoon that they’ve placed second baseman Nick Gonzales on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin strain. Infielder Alika Williams was recalled to replace Gonzales on the club’s active roster. Gonzales is likely to be out for some time; as noted by MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf, Pirates GM Ben Cherington noted on a local radio program today that while the club expects the youngster to play again this year, his absence figures to be a long one that’s “measured in weeks, not days.”
That news is a tough blow for the Pirates, as Gonzales has locked down the keystone in Pittsburgh to this point in the season. The seventh overall pick from the 2020 draft and a former consensus top-50 prospect in the sport, Gonzales has slashed a decent .258/.293/.387 (87 wRC+) in his first taste of action as a big league regular this year, though that line is mostly floated by a hot start to the 2024 campaign. Since the calendar flipped to June, Gonzales has struggled badly at the plate with a .235/.259/.330 (61 wRC+), a far cry from the 150 wRC+ he posted in the month of May.
Even in spite of that lackluster offensive production in recent weeks, however, Gonzales is still a clear improvement over the club’s other second base options. Jared Triolo has gotten reps at second base in recent days since Gonzales went down with injury, but his slash line this year is a brutal .202/.277/.272 (57 wRC+) on the year. Williams, meanwhile, has slashed just .210/.234/.290 with a wRC+ of 43 in 68 trips to the plate in the majors this year. There’s at least some room for optimism that he could put up stronger numbers going forward, however, as he’s delivered a strong .327/.421/.394 slash line (122 wRC+) at the Triple-A level this year.
With Gonzales seemingly out for some time and the club’s internal options all leaving something to be a desired, it’s feasible that the Pirates could look to explore external additions at the position in the days leading up to the trade deadline. After all, the 52-52 Pirates have been very public about their intention to buy this summer, and recent reporting suggested they could look at dealing from their pitching depth to add offense. Adding a second baseman may be easier said than done, however, as there aren’t many infielders expected to be moved this summer—particularly after recent deals sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Bronx and Isaac Paredes to the North Side of Chicago.
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, and Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa are among the players with experience at second base who are rumored to be available, but none of that group appears at all guaranteed to be moved in the coming days. Even if the Pirates don’t end up making an addition at the keystone, however, the loss of Gonzales makes the club’s need for additional offense all the more acute. They’ve been connected to plenty of other hitters this summer, including outfielder Taylor Ward of the Angels, first baseman Yandy Diaz of the Rays, and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz of the Marlins, either of whom could upgrades the Pittsburgh offense in other areas to make up for the loss of Gonzales.
Pirates Move Roansy Contreras To Bullpen
The Pirates are moving right-hander Roansy Contreras to the bullpen, Derek Shelton told reporters after tonight’s Spring Training contest (X link via MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf). While the Pittsburgh manager left open the possibility of giving Contreras another rotation look down the line, he’s viewed as a reliever for the moment.
At this time last year, the 24-year-old looked like one of the more promising starting pitchers in the organization. The Bucs had made him the arguable centerpiece of their 2021 trade return from the Yankees for Jameson Taillon. Contreras was viewed as a fringe Top 100-caliber prospect before turning in a solid ’22 campaign as a rookie. Contreras held a spot in the Pittsburgh rotation for a good portion of that season. He tossed 95 innings of 3.79 ERA ball with a strikeout and walk profile that wasn’t far off league average.
That showing earned him a spot in last year’s rotation. Contreras’ raw stuff and results all backed up, though, and he was tagged for 6.59 earned runs per nine innings. His strikeout rate dropped nearly three percentage points, sitting at a middling 18.8% clip. His walk rate went slightly up. The average velocity on his four-seam fastball ticked down from 95.8 MPH to 94.6 MPH. Contreras’ slider remained an effective offering, although he even lost a few percentage points on that pitch’s swing-and-miss rate.
As the struggles mounted, the Bucs first kicked him to the bullpen and eventually back to the minors. He made eight appearances in Triple-A, where he had an ERA just below 5.00 in a hitter-friendly league. The Pirates even assigned him back to their Florida complex for a few weeks to work through his mechanics outside of a game setting.
Those paths aren’t on the table this year. Last season burned Contreras’ final minor league option. The Pirates can no longer send him down without first exposing him to waivers, where he’d very likely be claimed. If they don’t want to risk losing him, they need to keep him in the majors. Yet Contreras’ performance this spring has been far from encouraging.
He has started three of five outings in exhibition play but only gotten through 12 1/3 innings. Contreras has issued 13 walks against nine strikeouts while allowing nine runs. His fastball velocity has sat in the 94-95 MPH range, but the inability to find the strike zone is alarming. It would’ve been difficult to justify giving him a spot in the MLB rotation coming off that kind of performance. A relief role will afford Shelton some flexibility in keeping Contreras out of high-leverage spots while he tries to recapture the form that he’d shown through 2022.
In other Bucs news, the team announced they’ve optioned Nick Gonzales to Triple-A Indianapolis. That takes him out of the mix in the camp battle for the Opening Day second base job. The former #7 overall pick had a middling spring, hitting .235/.278/.412 over 36 plate appearances. Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo are the top options to start at the keystone. They’ve each hit well in camp. Peguero has a .292/.370/.458 line in 11 games, while Triolo has turned in a .344/.432/.469 mark over 12 contests.
Pittsburgh’s Second Base Camp Battle
With Spring Training’s arrival, the next few weeks will feature a number of camp battles around the league. One position that could be up for grabs before Opening Day: the second base job in Pittsburgh. The Bucs used eight players at the position a year ago. Four of them remain on the roster and could vie for time at the team’s most uncertain infield spot.
Peguero, 23, got his first extended MLB run last year. He appeared in 59 games and tallied 213 trips to the plate. Peguero didn’t produce much, hitting .237/.280/.374 with dismal strikeout and walk rates (5.2% and 31.5%, respectively). It’s not all that surprising that he had a rough go against MLB pitching. Peguero only appeared in seven Triple-A games before being called to the majors. He had spent the majority of the season’s first half at Double-A Altoona, where he turned in a .260/.333/.453 showing with 11 homers, 19 steals, and a solid 10.1% walk rate against an 18.2% strikeout percentage.
Scouting reports on Peguero have credited him with a well-rounded physical toolset but raised questions about his strike zone judgment. He showed excellent speed in his MLB time but didn’t put things together consistently on either side of the ball.
Pittsburgh selected Gonzales, a New Mexico State product, with the #7 overall pick in 2020. He has drawn plenty of walks while hitting for power in the minors but hasn’t consistently made contact. That concern carried over in his first look at MLB arms. Gonzales hit .209/.268/.348 with a 28.1% strikeout rate across his first 35 big league contests.
The 24-year-old was a lot more productive with Triple-A Indianapolis. Gonzales hit .281/.379/.507 with 14 homers in 443 plate appearances at the top minor league level. He drew free passes at a 12% clip and hit for power, but a .369 average on balls in play masks a near-27% strikeout percentage. Gonzales isn’t regarded as a great defender, so he’ll have to take a notable step forward in his pure contact skills. Baseball America ranked him the #9 prospect in the Pittsburgh system this offseason.
Last year’s team leader in playing time at second base, Bae also had a tough rookie season. He hit .231/.296/.311 in 371 plate appearances. Unlike Peguero and Gonzales, Bae had roughly average plate discipline and contact metrics. His issue was a complete lack of power. He only homered twice with 17 doubles and a pair of triples. Nearly three-fifths of his batted balls were hit on the ground.
Bae is a plus-plus runner and stole 24 bases a year ago. He’ll need to contribute more offensively if he’s to play more than a bench role. Defensive metrics gave the 24-year-old below-average marks for his work at second base. The Pirates also gave him a fair bit of center field run and could use him in a utility capacity.
Of this group, Triolo had easily the best results against MLB pitching. The Houston product put up a .298/.388/.398 line over his first 209 plate appearances. He’d need to dramatically improve his contact rate if he’s to sustain anything like that production over a full season, though. No hitter can maintain anything like the .440 batting average on balls in play that Triolo posted last year. (Freddie Freeman led qualified batters with a .370 BABIP in 2023.) In order to offset the inevitable regression from a batted ball perspective, Triolo will need to cut a strikeout rate that sat above 30%.
While he’s clearly not a finished product, Triolo isn’t without promise. He had a strong minor league track record, including a .286/.412/.432 slash in Triple-A last season. He came up as a third baseman but doesn’t have a path to playing time at his natural position thanks to Ke’Bryan Hayes. Prospect evaluators raved about his glove at the hot corner in the minors. If he can carry that to multiple infield positions, he could compete for second base reps.
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It’s likely one of that quartet will get the bulk of the second base time in 2024, although there’s some chance the mix changes before Opening Day. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey has suggested the Bucs could dangle someone from the group in talks with the Marlins about right-hander Edward Cabrera. It’s far from a guarantee that any deal with Miami will get across the finish line, but the front office is still evaluating ways to add rotation help in some capacity before Opening Day.
Beyond this group, the Bucs have two other second basemen on the 40-man roster. Prospect Tsung-Che Cheng hasn’t played above Double-A and might not factor in until 2025. Alika Williams got to the big leagues last year but likely didn’t hit well enough (.198/.270/.248) to compete for the second base job. He played exclusively shortstop last year when Oneil Cruz was injured but could handle second base defensively. Williams’ bat is very light, pointing to a likelier future as a glove-first utility type than a regular.