Pirates' Nick Gonzales: Set to see most starts at 3B
Pirates manager Don Kelly said Sunday that Gonzales is slated to see most of his playing time at third base to begin the season, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Gonzales entered spring training poised to take over as the Pirates' primary shortstop in 2026 after making his 11 of his final 13 starts at that position last season once Isiah Kiner-Falefa was out of the picture upon being claimed off waivers by Toronto. In a somewhat surprising decision, however, Kelly has opted to move Jared Triolo -- who secured a Gold Glove as a utility man in 2024 -- off of third base with the plan to use him at shortstop on an everyday basis. Gonzales should still be comfortable at third base after logging four starts at that spot in spring training, and he's expected to quickly gain eligibility at that position in most fantasy leagues while also carrying over eligibility at second base from 2025. He'll likely take longer to attain eligibility at shortstop, unless Triolo misses time with an injury early in the season.
