The Pittsburgh Pirates have a trio of Gold Glove winners and a player billed as the “significant acquisition” of the offseason, yet their corner infield spots might be the biggest question marks in the lineup.
Defensively, the Pirates are in good hands at third base, whether Ke’Bryan Hayes or Jared Triolo handles the hot corner. Hayes won the NL Gold Glove at the position in 2023, while Triolo bounced from second to third and won the award as a utility player last year.
And that’s not to mention Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who won the AL Gold Glove at third base with the Texas Rangers in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but is projected to start at shortstop this season.
“It’s all the confidence in the world,” Triolo said of winning his first Gold Glove in the majors. “I mean, defense is half the game. So, if you have confidence there, it usually leaks over.”
While both Hayes and Triolo provide elite defense, their offensive production left a lot to be desired last season. They combined for 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 55 RBIs, when Hayes started 93 games before being sidelined by back issues and Triolo started 60 games at third base.
The Pirates invested in Hayes as a franchise cornerstone by signing him to an eight-year, $70 million contract in April 2022, but he has been prone to injury. He was voted team MVP by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in 2023, only to respond with a career-worst season that saw him go on the injured list in mid-August.
“It was definitely frustrating because my biggest goal was to be available every day and not have to go on the IL,” Hayes told TribLive in September. “It was definitely frustrating having to do that.”
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told MLB Network in December that the club was receiving positive feedback from Hayes this offseason, and that he believes Hayes’ health will play a major role in his success.
“We saw last year was that dealing with some physical stuff, some nagging stuff that really limited how he was moving and how confident he was in moving. It seeped into different parts of his game,” Cherington said on MLB Tonight. “When he’s feeling good physically, he’s an impact player at third base and he’s really important to us.”
Across the diamond, the Pirates took a risk by acquiring Spencer Horwitz in a trade that sent starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and a pair of pitching prospects to the Cleveland Guardians.
Horwitz is hardly a proven commodity, though he showed potential at the plate last season for the Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter boasted a .357 on-base percentage and 125 OPS with 19 doubles, 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 97 games, proving to be a high-contact hitter with a high walk rate and low strikeout rate.
“I’ve always thought that I could compete there, but I guess you kind of have that unknown, where ‘maybe I can’t,’” Horwitz said. “Last year, I got like 90-something games up, and I know my game plays. But I also learned that I have to be better in some certain areas.
“That’s something I’ve learned a lot in the past, I’d say a year or so of being a fringe big league guy, that I can’t please everybody. But I know my game plays. I think quality at-bats and doing damage when you can, there’s nothing wrong with that. People will always say that I don’t have enough power, but I think walks and doubles and home runs when they come is enough.”
The Pirates are hoping Horwitz will end a revolving door at first base, where they have used 22 players since trading All-Star Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals in December 2020. They parted ways with both Rowdy Tellez and Connor Joe, who combined for 22 homers and 92 RBIs in splitting time over 154 starts last season.
But Horwitz made more starts at second base (37) than first base (32) for the Blue Jays last season, so he’s still getting used to the idea of being an everyday player at one position. Horwitz will likely have competition, as Triolo and rookie Billy Cook made four starts each at first base in September. The 25-year-old Cook shined at Triple-A Indianapolis after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline and had three homers and eight RBIs in 16 games with the Pirates, where he played mostly in the outfield.
It’s possible the Pirates could add another first baseman, but Horwitz is hoping for a shot to be the starter.
“I’m ready to compete. Whether that be at first or second or the outfield. I don’t know my exact role, but it seems like it will be a majority at first base,” Horwitz said. “I’ve never been one to say this is my job. It’s a job I’m going to try to earn.”