Pirates taking part in the 'brief' sport by having Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa change positions – TribLIVE.com

Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo turns a double play over the Reds’ Tyler Stephenson on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, at PNC Park.
After years of being blocked at third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates by probably the greatest defenders in baseball, Jared Triolo seen the commerce of Ke’Bryan Hayes as a bittersweet alternative.
Though Triolo is a Gold Glove winner, he’s additionally somebody who research the sport and its finest gamers. Triolo watched intently from the house dugout as 10-time NL Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado took grounders when the St. Louis Cardinals had been on the town, one thing he bought to do each day whereas being teammates with Hayes.
“You get to observe probably the greatest third basemen within the sport simply take floor balls and go about his day,” Triolo stated Hayes. “Hopefully, I can attempt to implement what I’ve been waiting for the final two to a few years and go on the market and produce like he did.”
So, it was a little bit of a shock to see Triolo beginning 5 of the previous six video games at shortstop and Isiah Kiner-Falefa switching from brief to 3rd base for six of the previous seven video games for the Pirates.
Their place change is by design, Pirates basic supervisor Ben Cherington stated, in order that they decide whether or not Triolo is an choice at shortstop subsequent season. The 2024 NL Gold Glove utility defender, Triolo has began extra video games at shortstop (17) this season than he has at third base (14), first base (12) or second base (10). However shortstop is the place Triolo has performed the least in his three seasons with the Pirates.
“We all know he’s an amazing defender,” Cherington stated Sunday on his weekly radio present on crew flagship 93.7 The Fan. “He’s performed lots of third, he’s performed lots of second previously. He’s had slightly little bit of a chance at brief. He’s bought extra this 12 months, and I believe he’s actually answered the query: Can he play brief? The reply is sure. That doesn’t imply he’s going to be the shortstop subsequent 12 months. However what it means is we now have some extra confidence within the participant.”
The important thing will likely be whether or not Triolo can discover consistency on the plate. He’s batting .178 with a .553 OPS this season however has a .267/.371/.333 slash line with two doubles and three RBIs within the 9 video games for the reason that July 31 commerce deadline handed.
“Personally, that’s what I wish to emphasize going ahead for the remainder of the season. I’m simply making an attempt to go up there and have constant at-bats, get on base and rating runs,” stated Triolo, who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 1 after three weeks within the minors. “Anytime you’re up right here, it’s a chance to search out your position with the crew. That’s what I’ve bought right here, so we’ll see what shakes out. I’m simply making an attempt to cement a job on this crew going ahead … so I’ll make the most of the glove.”
Defensively, the Pirates don’t have any considerations about Triolo. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is a plus defender who ranks within the 89th percentile in vary and 77th percentile in fielding run worth, per Baseball Savant. He had seven defensive runs saved – three every at second and third base and two at first base – however was minus-1 DRS in 154 innings at shortstop coming into Sunday’s sport towards Cincinnati, per Sports activities Information Options.
Maybe the particular person most impressed by Triolo’s play at shortstop is his predecessor on the place.
“He’s bought the dimensions, he’s bought the arm power to play every single day at shortstop,” stated Kiner-Falefa, who had one DRS in 815 innings over 93 begins. “I can do it at a excessive degree. I believe ‘Tri’ may do it a excessive degree. He has the pedigree of simply being a baseball participant. The dimensions and arm power is big. I believe that’s what separates him from different folks, his arm power.
“He’ll have extra worth, having the ability to play shortstop, to the Pirates. He checks all of the packing containers. He’s going to get some run to point out what he can do offensively. On the finish of the season, the Pirates are going to must decide. However I believe this can be a good alternative for him to get that open run, see if his physique can deal with it and provides them open suggestions for going into subsequent 12 months.”
Regardless of buying and selling Hayes, who had an MLB-best 65 DRS since 2020, the Pirates had been uniquely positioned to switch him with their alternative of Gold Glove defenders. They’ve used Kiner-Falefa at third base, the place he gained the American League Gold Glove in 2020 whereas with the Texas Rangers, in seven of the previous 11 video games.
“He’s bought the Gold Glove there – him and Tri each have the {hardware},” Pirates supervisor Don Kelly stated. “They each have dominated within the infield and carried out very well for us.”
Kiner-Falefa referred to as the midseason transfer from shortstop to 3rd base an opportunity to show the worth of his versatility within the last 12 months of a two-year, $15 million contract, given {that a} potential suitor might view him in his most well-liked position as a super-utility participant.
“It’s slightly bizarre, slightly funky — however that’s what I do finest. Nothing out of the odd. I really feel like I’m again at house,” stated Kiner-Falefa, who hopes to enhance his .337 slugging proportion as his physique will get a break from the defensive calls for of shortstop. “I really feel like I profile as a complete completely different participant once I’m taking part in third in comparison with shortstop. I’m trying ahead to the chance to showcase that.”
Cherington heaped excessive reward on the “above-average” play at shortstop by Konnor Griffin, the 19-year-old 2024 first-round draft choose who’s ranked the game’s No. 1 total prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. So the Pirates might be searching for somebody to function stopgap on the place till Griffin, who’s starring at Excessive-A Greensboro, is prepared for the main leagues.
With Triolo and Liover Peguero anticipated to get a lot of the taking part in time at shortstop, Kiner-Falefa is treating his time at third base as an audition for the beginning job vacated by Hayes being traded. Kiner-Falefa is open to staying with the Pirates, whether or not it’s at third base or elsewhere.
“That’s the place they want probably the most assist proper now,” Kiner-Falefa stated. “I can’t management that however it is sensible for either side. You allow that as much as the agent and the overall managers. I see a brilliant future for this crew. I’m going to do the whole lot I can the remainder of the 12 months to set them on the appropriate path. If I’m right here, nice. If not, I hope I helped them. I really feel like I’m an enormous a part of this clubhouse and I’ve taken lots of pleasure in my relationship with these gamers. It will be good to succeed with them. … The match is there. That’s the most important factor, the match. We’ll see what occurs.”
Cherington believes Triolo’s versatility offers the Pirates an opportunity to be inventive relating to addressing offseason additions, the place the precedence will likely be so as to add a run producer to baseball’s least productive offense.
“As we glance to construct the crew in 2026, Triolo taking part in shortstop – or, at the very least, as a part of a shortstop resolution – is at the very least an choice that we are able to take into account,” Cherington stated. “It opens up the choices we now have by way of we’d add again to the infield roster within the offseason, at the very least I’d count on we might. And it simply helps to know we’ve bought these choices with Tri as a result of possibly the very best alternative we discover out there’s a third baseman, possibly it’s a shortstop, possibly it’s one thing else. That versatility with Tri can actually assist us out in that approach.”
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