The Pirates have started to treat Nick Gonzales like a bat first and a glove second, and that shift says plenty about how they see him right now.
Over the past few weeks, Gonzales has barely been out there in the field. He’s still planted in the middle of the lineup every day, but Pittsburgh has limited his defensive exposure by giving him six starts at designated hitter over his last 15 games.
The reason is easy to see. Gonzales has been one of the most surprising offensive stories in MLB this season, hitting .306/.369/.393 with a 112 wRC+.
That puts him in the Silver Slugger conversation and within range of the National League batting title. The tradeoff is ugly defense.
He’s sitting at -9 Fielding Run Value on the year, including -8 at third base, and that’s helped hold him to 2.2 fWAR, a number that lands right in the middle of the Pirates’ roster.
For Pittsburgh, this is the kind of compromise that makes sense. Gonzales’ bat is too valuable to sit, but the club also wants to keep its best defensive alignment on the field. So instead of forcing him into a full-time spot in the dirt, the Pirates have started using him as a flexible DH option.
That plan has taken shape in a pretty clear way. The Pirates are still willing to let Gonzales play second and third base when the matchup works in his favor, especially against fly ball or strikeout-heavy pitchers. But now they also have the option to tuck him into the DH spot when they need stronger infield defense.
After the failure that was the Marcell Ozuna experiment, this looks like the cleanest solution for this roster. Gonzales’ role has also given Pittsburgh a way to work in semi-days-off for Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, and even Oneil Cruz, which is no small thing over a 162-game season.
And while the glove has been the problem this year, Gonzales isn’t being framed as a total lost cause defensively. His third base numbers are rough, but range-based metrics like Outs Above Average have long pointed to him being a quality middle infielder. Unlike Ozuna, who literally couldn't be trusted with a glove in his hand, the 27-year-old can play capable defense in a pinch.
The bigger point is simple: more DH time takes pressure off Gonzales to keep chasing defensive improvement and lets the Pirates lean into what he actually does best. His real value is at the plate, and Pittsburgh seems ready to build around that.
In Other News...
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For a Pirates system always hunting for impact talent, that kind of progress can matter as much as the raw numbers. Plaz is already viewed as one of the organizations top power-hitting catching prospects, and the development path now points toward a start to 2027 in Double-A, a sign that his rise could move faster than expected if this level of offense keeps holding. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Catching Depth Suddenly Has Another Name To Watch
Christian Bethancourts brief stop with the Pirates has already turned into a waiting game, with the veteran catcher clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Pittsburgh had recalled him to the majors recently, only to designate him for assignment without getting him into a game, a reminder of how quickly roster churn can move at the back end of a bullpen-and-catching shuffle.
Bethancourt now has the option to decline the outright assignment and become a free agent, though no decision has been announced. For a player who has spent parts of eight MLB seasons trying to carve out a steady role, the next step matters because it could determine whether his latest stay in the organization is just a paper move or the beginning of another fresh landing spot. [Read more 🡒]