Perrotto: It’s Now or Never for Jared Triolo
Jared Triolo could be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting third baseman next season.
Or he could be the starting shortstop.
He might also be a utility player.
And if he doesn’t improve his hitting, Triolo could be sent to Triple-A Indianapolis or shipped to another organization.
Triolo’s career can head in many directions between the end of this season and the start of spring training. However, the one certainty about Triolo is that he is getting his chance to prove he is an everyday player.
Since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 1, one day after third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes’ trade to the Cincinnati Reds, Triolo has started 11 of 12 games for the Pirates. It is a big audition for the 27-year-old who has yet to gain traction as a regular in the major leagues despite being in his third season.
Triolo’s contributions with the bat were negligible before being optioned to Indianapolis on July 10. He hit .158 with three home runs and five stolen bases in 55 games.
“Obviously, I didn’t perform the way I wanted to the first time up, and I went down and worked on some things, and now I’ve come back and hopefully contribute a little bit more to the offense a little more than I was before getting called back up,” Triolo said.
In 15 games with Indianapolis, Triolo had a .239 batting average, but his on-base percentage was .397 as he drew 12 walks in 58 plate appearances. Triolo also homered twice and stole three bases.
“We got a couple fewer players. So, there’s that,” Triolo cracked when asked about the difference from when he was sent to the minor leagues until he returned to the Pirates three weeks later.
Hayes was one of five Pirates traded during Triolo’s time away from the team. The Pirates also shipped away closer David Bednar, left-hander Bailey Falter, lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson, and infielder/outfielder Adam Frazier.
In a more serious vein, Triolo said that his time in the minor leagues helped improve his hitting.
“A couple of approach shifts, just mentality-wise, just trying to get on base and trying to drive in runs,” Triolo said. “That’s kind of all you’ve got to focus on as a hitter. You can’t think about other stuff.”
Triolo has been slightly more productive in his second stint with the Pirates this season, hitting .250 with two doubles and five walks in 41 plate appearances.
Eight of Triolo’s 11 starts since his recall have been at shortstop, and the other three at third base. After spending the first four months of the season as the regular shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been playing third when Triolo is at short.
That comes as a surprise because Triolo’s primary position at the University of Houston and in professional baseball has been third baseman. However, with Kiner-Falefa on an expiring contract, the Pirates want to see how Triolo performs in the middle of the diamond.
Triolo has shown versatility during his three seasons with the Pirates. He has made 109 starts at third base, 62 at second base, 29 at shortstop, and 22 at first base.
Triolo won the National League Gold Glove as a utility player last season, a year after Hayes was the NL Gold Glove third baseman in 2023.
The Pirates, though, finally decided that Hayes’ defense no longer outweighed his poor hitting, which included just six home runs in 211 games since the start of the 2024 season.
The Pirates moved on from Hayes, even though he was in the fourth year of an eight-year contract worth $70 million, which signaled he was supposed to be a cornerstone player.
The Pirates aren’t paying Triolo nearly as much and have lower expectations. That is why he must provide more offense in the last 40 games of the season.
It’s a classic case of now or never.
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