Jared Triolo’s latest Gold Glove nomination should be an easy win for the Pirates. Instead, it’s turned into a fresh reminder of just how awkward their infield picture has become.
Triolo is up for the 2026 National League Gold Glove Award at the utility spot, a nod that fits the 28-year-old’s reputation as one of the league’s most adaptable defenders. He won the award in 2024, and this recognition only reinforces how much value he brings with his glove.
But it also shines a bright light on a bigger problem in Pittsburgh: the Pirates have one player whose defense is clearly strong enough for third base and another whose bat has been one of the better ones in the lineup, even if his glove has not kept up.
Nick Gonzales was one of Pittsburgh’s most productive hitters in 2026, closing the year with a .303 batting average and a .755 OPS. In a lineup that faded badly after the All-Star break, his offensive jump stood out as one of the team’s few real bright spots.
The issue is what happened on the other side of the ball. Gonzales finished with minus-15 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-11 Outs Above Average at third base, which placed him last among qualifying third basemen in both categories.
Triolo offered the opposite profile. He posted five Defensive Runs Saved in only 260 1/3 innings at third base and also gave the Pirates useful stability at shortstop when rookie Konnor Griffin was sidelined by injuries.
That contrast is obvious. The problem is that the cleanest fix on paper creates a new headache.
Triolo hit just .238 with a .610 OPS and three home runs in 2026. On a club whose offense dropped from 5.32 runs per game before the All-Star break to 3.71 afterward, swapping Gonzales out for Triolo at third would mean giving up real production at the plate.
That is why the Pirates’ infield question is so messy heading into 2027.
Brandon Lowe’s approaching free agency could change the shape of it all. If Lowe leaves, Pittsburgh could move Gonzales back to second base, which would at least open a path for another option at third.
Murf Gray is the name that naturally comes up there. The top prospect hit .305 with 32 home runs across three minor-league levels in 2026. But he has not faced major-league pitching yet, and banking on him as an everyday answer right away would be a huge leap.
Even shifting Gonzales back to second is not a sure thing defensively. His previous struggles there mean the Pirates can’t simply assume the problem disappears with a position change.
So Triolo’s future may remain what it has often been: a valuable utility piece with a Gold Glove resume, but not necessarily the everyday answer at third base.
There’s no question the Pirates benefit from having him available all over the diamond. Don Kelly gets real flexibility from that kind of player, especially when injuries hit. But there’s also real frustration in carrying a defender good enough to anchor third base while continuing to run out one of baseball’s least reliable gloves at the position.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have to force Triolo into a full-time role. It does, though, need a roster that doesn’t make it pick between offense and defense so often. After an 82-80 season and another missed postseason, the margin for that kind of compromise is thin.
Triolo’s Gold Glove nomination is deserved on its own. For the Pirates, it also underlines a much bigger truth: having the talent is one thing, but using it in the right places is another. As they look toward 2027, the question of where Triolo fits still needs an answer.
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Pirates Still Lack The Late-Game Edge Contenders Rely On
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For a club trying to turn a modest step forward into a real jump, the relief corps remains the part of the roster that most needs sharpening. The Pirates have enough evidence now to know that better late-game run prevention is not just a luxury, and the next few moves will reveal whether they can turn a promising season into one with staying power. [Read more 🡒]