Pirates need to play Nick Gonzales over Jared Triolo

CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 01: Nick Gonzales #3 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a run during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 1, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Pittsburgh Pirates have completely transformed their lineup for the 2026 season, but there is still a debate as to who should be playing third base for the club between Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales. While neither one of these players will likely be long term answers to fill this vacancy, the Pirates should prioritize playing Gonzales over Triolo.

The way that the roster is currently constructed there is an emphasis on having a strong offense to support a stellar pitching staff. To build this lineup the Pirates did take some liberties with sacrificing overall team defense to compensate for what was the worst offense in baseball a year ago. With that in mind it’s clear that Gonzales has more of a roll on a team that is willing to sacrifice some defense with the goal of scoring more runs and being able to frustrate opposing pitchers from top to bottom in a lineup.

DON'T RUN ON ONEIL CRUZ AND JARED TRIOLO pic. twitter. com/bBCOGzRzZQ — Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) March 29, 2026 Over the last couple of seasons, there has been few utility defenders as versatile as Triolo.

He was the first utility man recipient of the Gold Glove Award in 2024 and can play nearly anywhere in the field. With the departure of fellow Gold Glover Ke’Bryan Hayes, Triolo was the incumbent at the hot corner. Triolo also regularly played at third when Hayes was injured or out of the lineup, so there is definitely a case to be made for him to be the Pirates’ regular third baseman.