Pirates’ Plan for Shortstop, Third Base to Start the Season

Konnor Girffin is the future shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he won’t be on the Opening Day roster. Even though the team’s No. 1 prospect is starting the season in the Minor Leagues, it may not be long before he’s with the big league team.

But what will Pittsburgh’s plan be on the left side of the infield before Griffin makes his MLB debut? 

Pirates skipper Don Kelly explained how the team will manage both shortstop and third base to start the season, and the plan unsurprisingly involves Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke, and Nick Gonzales.

As for shortstop, it’ll be Triolo who gets the majority of playing time at that position to start the season.

Kelly said that decisions came down to, “In regards to Triolo, just feel like he's been so good at short in his limited time last year was, he's good anywhere you put him. But just felt like being a shortstop, having him there when he's on the field is really important.”

Even though Triolo’s offense may not stand out, he was a phenomenal defender a year ago. In 2025, he had a fielding run value of five, which ranked in the 81st percentile, and an outs above average of six, which ranked in the 92nd percentile.

Of this trio, Triolo is likely the best defender, making him the starting shortstop make the most sense to begin the year. 

As for third base, that time will be split between Yorke and Gonzales, although Kelly envisions the ladder as a player who can move across the diamond more, including the outfield. 

Kelly is confident that either player can handle third base and praised them for their offseason work that made that possible.

“The ability to move over to third and handle that well,” continued Kelly. “They both worked extremely hard at being able to do that during this offseason and during spring training, and feel confident and comfortable with them there.”

Pittsburgh’s skipper also didn’t rule out the possibility of Yorke seeing some time at shortstop, especially if he and Gonzales end up on the field at the same time.

The Pirates clearly have a plan in place for who they want playing where on the left side of the infield to start the season. But again, that strategy will likely change again, assuming Griffin does get the call at some point during the 2026 season. 

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