The Pirates know the assignment this offseason: third base has to get better for 2027, and it has to happen now.
Pittsburgh has been searching for a real answer at the position since trading Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2025 deadline, and the options on hand haven’t solved the problem. Free agency could be part of the conversation, but most of the available names don’t look like clean fits either for the short haul or the long run. That makes the trade market the more interesting lane, and Zack Gelof of the Athletics stands out as one player worth watching.
Gelof put together a strong 2026 season that showed he can handle third base and bring real pop to the lineup. In 111 games, he hit .256/.322/.475 with an .797 OPS, piling up 101 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs, 55 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 19 attempts. His 22 homers were seven more than the Pirates’ third basemen combined for in 2026.
The defensive side of the case is just as important. Gelof made 66 starts at third base in 70 games, his first time playing the position in his MLB career, and he handled it well with +9 defensive runs saved, +1 outs above average and +1 fielding run value. That’s a sharp contrast to what Pittsburgh got from Nick Gonzales, who was the club’s primary third baseman in 2026 and finished with -15 DRS, -11 OAA and -9 FRV, all the worst marks at the position in MLB among players with at least 850 innings.
There’s more versatility here, too. Gelof can also play second base, where he’s spent most of his MLB career, and he has experience in left field and center field as well.
His 2026 season also looked like a major step forward after a rough stretch. Gelof played only 30 MLB games in 2025 following right wrist surgery and a left shoulder dislocation, then bounced back from a .211/.270/.362 line and .632 OPS in 138 games in 2024, his first full season in the majors.
At the plate, one trait jumps out for Pittsburgh: he hits lefties. Gelof, a right-handed bat, posted a .286/.342/.543 line with an .885 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2026. That matters for a Pirates team that was one of the worst clubs against southpaws last season, going 18-33 against starters.
The money also lines up. Gelof is in his first year of arbitration, and MLB Trade Rumors projected his 2027 salary at $2.9 million. For a player producing like this, that’s a manageable number, and Pittsburgh would still control him for two more years before he reaches free agency at the end of the decade.
Still, there are real questions. Gelof has only one season of meaningful work at third base, so the Pirates would have to believe he can keep that level of defense over a full 162-game schedule.
There’s also the ballpark factor. He benefited from hitting at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., home of the Athletics’ Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats.
PNC Park would be a tougher place for right-handed power, and the source notes he would have hit only 11 home runs there over the full season, which is half of his 2026 total.
Even with those concerns, the fit is obvious enough to keep him on Pittsburgh’s radar. The Pirates need a better answer at third base for 2027, and it can’t just be Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Jacob Gonzales and Nick Yorke cycling through chances there. If the Athletics are open to a deal, Gelof gives the Pirates a player who can hit, defend and potentially stick as part of their long-term picture.
Pittsburgh has a real shot to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015, but that kind of push will require the right additions. Gelof isn’t the only name they should consider this winter, but he’s one with enough promise to matter.
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What makes the situation stand out is how far beyond the Pirates usual comfort zone it reaches. The club has not signed a free agent to a deal bigger than Francisco Lirianos three-year, $39 million contract from 2014, and keeping Lowe would require a much more aggressive financial leap than that. For a team that has spent years avoiding that level of commitment, this is the sort of choice that can define an offseason before it really gets going. [Read more 🡒]