3 Pittsburgh Pirates hitters who are dead weight on the current roster

Jared Triolo

Jared Triolo is a defense-first utility man. While he showed some promise in his 2023 debut, 2024 was a rough year for Triolo with the bat. He slashed just .216/.296/.315 with a .275 wOBA and 72 wRC+. Triolo walked at a healthy 9.2% rate, but also struck out 26.5% of the time. He was also not bad down the line, with a playable 96 wRC+ throughout August and September of 2024. Fans hoped he could build upon that, and while he still can, Triolo is off to a bad start to 2025.

It’s only been 43 plate appearances, but Triolo has just seven hits and a singular walk. He hasn’t struck out much, with only six Ks and a strong 18.1% whiff rate, but that’s about the only positive. His exit velocity sits at a poor 87 MPH, and his barrel rate only comes in at 2.9%. Only two of his hits have gone for extra-base hits, both of which were doubles. The utility infielder’s wRC+ currently sits at a lowly 17.

Triolo’s glove has been playing as expected. After winning a Gold Glove last season, Triolo is once again showing off his strong defensive prowess. He already has +3 defensive runs saved and +2 outs above average in less than 50 innings at second base. He has also looked solid at both infield corners.

The Pirates don’t need this many utility men on the roster. Adam Frazier has been red hot recently. Enmanuel Valdez has hit well so far with better underlying Statcast metrics than Triolo. Triolo may bring a better glove, but even if he were to start hitting like he did in 2024, he would still be just slightly more valuable than a replacement-level player. Triolo still has options remaining and is a prime candidate to get sent to Triple-A once Gonzales and Horwitz start making their way back to the major leagues.