How the Pirates should manage their middle infield in 2025

Switching Oneil Cruz to centerfield at the end of the season was an interesting, but correct decision by the Pittsburgh Pirates front office. This left Isiah Kiner-Falefa as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop for the remainder of the season, and in that small sample we saw that he is incapable of handling an everyday job from an offense standpoint.

With Nick Gonzales progressing well in his second year, the Pirates middle infield has the opportunity to be solid. But to achieve that, they must add another shortstop. They have a strong nucleus of a middle infield on the roster right now, but another addition would make it even better.

There are a lot of possibilities for what Pirates could do with their middle infield, but let's take a look how they should manage the group.

How will the Pirates manage Isiah Kiner-Falefa with an addition at shortstop?

After being acquired by the Pirates, Kiner-Falefa batted .240 with a one home run and 10 runs batted in. He also had a .587 OPS and 60 wRC+. His walk percentage was just 1.4% and his strikeout percentage was at 19.1%.

Although his bat wasn't great, his defense is very valuable to Pittsburgh and could be a difference maker in games. The Pirates need an everyday guy, and a player they should have an eye on to fulfill that role is Willi Castro from the Twins.

In 2024, Castro had a .717 OPS with 12 home runs and a 108 wRC+. His batting average sat at .247 and he drove in 60 runs. Along with that, his batting run value was rated 13th, which ranks in the 77th percentile.

If the Pirates were to acquire Castro, he would instantly be the starter at shortstop, which would put Kiner-Falefa on the bench. Utilizing his glove, the Pirates could put him anywhere on the field when a player needs a day off, and with his versatilely it would not make a negative impact.

Kiner-Falefa would also idealy back up Gonzales at second base. With an addition at shortstop, the Pirates should also begin the year with Gonzales starting at second base.

In 2024, Gonzales had a batting average of .270 with seven home runs, 49 RBI, a .709 OPS and 94 wRC+. He still has soom room to grow, but he is trending upwards, which should earn him a lot of time at second base.

Overall, the Pirates could have a very strong middle infield in 2025 if they go out and get a shortstop. Castro is not a guy that will break the bank, but it would be a necessary upgrade in order to win. Kiner-Falefa will be a great defensive substitution in late games, but his bat just cannot be in the lineup every day.