DUNEDIN, Fla. — The closer Jared Triolo got to the major leagues, the more he realized his future might be at a position other than third base because of Ke’Bryan Hayes’ presence on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Triolo proved he could fill in at the hot corner when the NL Gold Glove winner was out but wanted an opportunity to stay in the lineup when Hayes was healthy.
So Triolo proved he was open to playing other positions, bouncing around the infield by playing third, second and first base and showing that his glove was good no matter where the Pirates played him.
“Seeing what was an opportunity for me and how I could get on the field, just having that opportunity to be pieced into wherever I can fit is cool to me,” Triolo said. “Wherever I can get on the field is where I feel comfortable.”
So it was a good sign for Triolo that he was in the Pirates’ starting lineup at second base Monday against Toronto, even though Hayes didn’t make the road trip. Triolo went 2 for 2 with a double and a single, and he turned a double play in the field against the Blue Jays. Through his first two Grapefruit League games, Triolo is 3 for 5 at the plate.
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No wonder Triolo has become a legitimate candidate in the competition at second base, going from darkhorse behind Ji Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero to potential front-runner because of how his bat played late last season.
After starting 23 games in Hayes’ absence in July, Triolo was caught in the numbers games and optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in mid-August. When he returned, Triolo looked like a different hitter. He straightened his stance and saw dramatic improvement.
Between Sept. 9 and Oct. 1, Triolo slashed .350/.458/.567 with seven doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over his final 18 games. The offensive surge caught the coaching staff’s attention.
“The run last year was how hard he hit the ball,” Shelton said. “Because earlier, when he came up, he made contact, but he didn’t impact the ball. When he came back, he impacted the baseball.”
That impacted Triolo’s chances of making the Opening Day roster. The question is whether he can win the starting job at second base or make the team as a utility player who can play all four infield spots and the outfield. Triolo takes pride in his ability to play multiple positions but made it clear he wants to win the starting job at second base.
“We have a lot of good position players on this team. Playing different positions is obviously going to help you,” Triolo said. “It’s tough to crack the starting nine, so whenever you get on the field is beneficial. That’s promising for us. That’s usually how all good teams gain starters this way. They start elsewhere and work their way into the lineup.”
The key for Triolo is whether he can carry the momentum from last September into this season. The difference is he now knows that he’s capable of playing in the majors.
“It just gives me a lot more confidence in spring training,” Triolo said. “In the past, I was kind of watching how all the guys do their work so I could implement it into my game. The confidence I have now is trying to get a spot on Opening Day.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.