The Pittsburgh Pirates made a concerted effort to address first base this past offseason.
Spencer Horwitz was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the hope of creating stability at a position that’s been a revolving door for three-plus seasons, featuring 24 players since the Pirates traded Josh Bell in December of 2020.
However, with the 27-year-old Horwitz missing spring training and beginning the season on the injured list following wrist surgery, the Pirates have instead been forced to utilize a three-man platoon, none of whom are playing their primary position.
Utilityman Jared Triolo, a Gold Glove winner in 2024, Enmanuel Valdez, acquired from the Boston Red Sox in December, and catcher Endy Rodriguez had been the trio splitting reps at first base.
But currently, Valdez is the only one who’s healthy.
Triolo (lumbar spine strain) was placed on the injured list on April 7, while Rodriguez (right hand laceration) went down Tuesday.
That leaves manager Derek Shelton with limited options (to say nothing of experience) at first base for the time being.
“(Valdez) is going to play there (and Adam Frazier) can go over there and play,” Shelton said. “It does provide a little bit of a challenge for us in-game, in terms of making moves. So, depending on how long (Triolo’s rehab assignment) is, those would be the two guys that are options there, (Valdez and Frazier).
Triolo began his rehab assignment with Indianapolis on Tuesday and went 2 for 3 with a homer. He is eligible to be activated from the injured list Wednesday.
Of the aforementioned trio, Triolo’s 18 games and 112 1/3 innings at first base are most by a considerable margin.
But the Pirates will probably want to let Triolo play at least a few games at Triple-A before returning him to big-league action.
Rodriguez’s hand injury suffered Monday against the Washington Nationals while attempting to receive a Paul Skenes pitch in the dirt will sideline him until at least April 24, the earliest date he could be activated.
As for Horwitz, he’s still weeks away from potentially beginning a rehab assignment.
Calling up Billy Cook from Triple-A could be another option, as the 26-year-old was tried out for a handful of games at first base late last season, in addition to this spring. Cook is hitting .200 for Indianapolis.
For now, it appears to be Valdez’s show at first base, with Frazier potentially getting in the mix, until Triolo returns.
“There are going to be some things that we have to continue to work on,” Shelton said. “I think we are aware of that, and we just have to make sure that we put them in the best position possible.”
The Pirates gave Frazier a bit of work at first base during spring training, and last year with the Kansas City Royals, he made an abbreviated appearance there for 1 1/3 innings Sept. 28.
However, aside from that, the 10-year MLB veteran estimated that the last time he’d seen any action at first base was during collegiate fall ball while at Mississippi State.
“And before that would have been All-Stars in Little League,” Frazier said. “(Valdez) has done a pretty good job over there, but if they need me to play first, I’ll play first. Wherever (Shelton) wants me. Whatever I can do to try to help the team win.”
Valdez, 26, is ready to embrace the challenge of eating innings at first base.
Upon being traded to Pittsburgh in mid-December, he had no MLB experience at there through 125 career games played.
Valdez’s primary position is second base, where 103 of his 110 big-league starts before this season came.
But navigating through the minor leagues, Valdez did see some time at first base – nine games (72 1/3 innings) at Triple-A in 2022 and 2024 – that he’s drawing on.
“I feel good at the position,” Valdez said through Pirates assistant coach and translator Stephen Morales. “Doing reps every day makes it better. It’s not the first time that I’ve played first base, and I feel comfortable there. It’s not like it’s new for me, but I feel better as days go by.”
Following his Tuesday night start at first base, Valdez has made eight major league appearances there for a total of 67 innings.
Shelton alluded to bracing for some growing pains from his deputized first basemen and at times, Valdez’s inexperience at the position has shown.
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In Monday’s 10-3 win over the Nationals, two pickoff throws from Skenes, both of which appeared to be well-placed, got past Valdez.
Skenes was charged for throwing errors on both plays, but Valdez took ownership for the gaffes.
“First of all, I think my body was not in the right position to catch those throws,” he said. “They were not bad throws, but neither easy. I think I’m going to have to continue to work on my body positioning just to put myself in the right spot to have a better shot to catch those balls.”
Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Washington saw Valdez misplay a bunt in the fifth inning, leaving first base undefended for Jacob Young to easy secure a base hit.
But in the sixth, Valdez made a nice backhanded play, batting down a hit down the line by Josh Bell before recovering and getting the ball to Mitch Keller at first base for the out.
Enmanuel Valdez with a diving stop at 1B pic.twitter.com/A7GV9fsfoo
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) April 15, 2025
So far, Valdez owns a perfect fielding percentage.
As he works through the kinks of a new position, Valdez is embracing his role at first base.
“I’m available for whatever they need me to,” Valdez said. “If the call is to play first, or any other position, I’m always available. There’s other people that can play first, too, but whenever they put me at first, I’m going to try to do my best all the time.”