Pittsburgh Pirates: Analyzing Potential Second Base Options for 2024

2 of 5

Looking at the Pittsburgh Pirates potential options - both internally and externally - for second base in 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates need to fix one of two positions. That’s either second base or first base. They have options internally, as well as on the trade market, and free agent market who could potentially solve this issue. But they need to resolve either position by acquiring a player from the outside.

Today, we will be looking at the Pirates’ options at second base, starting with what they currently have on the roster, then seeing what the trade market could hold, and then finishing it off with what free agents are available, and making a final conclusion of what the best course of action would be for the Bucs.

Internal

The best internal option for second base right now would be Jared Triolo. For years, Triolo was one of the most unheralded prospects in the Pirates’ system. His lowest single-season wRC+ throughout his minor league career was 110, meaning at his worst, he was still 10% better than average. Triolo’s first promotion to the bigs was not great. His first 137 plate appearances yielded a .273/.350/.314 triple-slash, .303 wOBA, and 87 wRC+. While he hit for a good average, and walked at an 8.8% rate, he also did not hit for much power and struck out 30.7% of the time.

Triolo was sent back to Triple-A to figure things out, and when he came back, he looked like a greatly improved player. The 72 plate appearance sample in September saw him bat .350/.457/.567 with a .440 wOBA, and 178 wRC+. He walked nearly twice as often with a 16.7% walk rate, but still struck out about 30% of the time (29.2%). However, what makes this sample size worrying is the stratospheric .514 batting average on balls in play, which is unsustainable in any sense of the word.

However, even when his BAbip falls below .500, there were many positives to be taken from his September sample size. Triolo was barreling up the ball much more frequently with a 90.4 MPH exit velo, 12.8% barrel rate, and 38.5% hard-hit rate. This is significantly better than the 84.8 MPH exit velo, 2.5% barrel rate, and 30% hard-hit rate Triolo owned in his first promotion.

Triolo has always been known for his athleticism and defensive capabilities. His primary position throughout the minor leagues was third base, but he was more than talented enough to move to another position. Triolo played second base for 87 innings, but racked up +1 defensive runs saved, and +2 outs above average.

Another player currently on the 40-man roster who could have a shot at second base is Liover Peguero. Peguero started off his MLB career hot, batting .274/.323/.462 through his first 129 plate appearances. Although he had a mediocre 6.2% walk rate and 27.9% strikeout rate, he hit for good pop with a .188 ISO and six home runs. His 88 MPH exit velocity, 7.1% barrel rate, and 35.7% hard hit rate were slightly below average, but still manageable.

Peguero may have secured his grasp on the second base role, had it not been for a poor final home stretch. In his last 84 plate appearances, Peguero batted .185/.214/.247 with a wRC+ of just 20. Keep in mind Austin Hedges finished the 2023 regular season with a 24 wRC+. Peguero struck out at a 36.9% rate and only walked in 3.6% of his plate appearances. The power he once showed in his first showing had disappeared as he only had an ISO of .062 with just one home run.

Peguero split his time between shortstop and second base. His defense at second base received mixed reviews. While he had -4 DRS, he also was considered average in the eyes of OAA at zero. However, he was worse at shortstop with -3 DRS and -1 OAA.

A third option is Nick Gonzales. Gonzales saw much less playing time than Peguero did in the majors, only appearing at the plate 128 times. He struggled, only hitting .209/.268/.348 with a .268 wOBA, and 64 wRC+. He had a 4.7% walk rate and 28.1% strikeout rate. However, Gonzo did well at Triple-A, batting .281/.379/.507 with a .388 wOBA, and 121 wRC+. Gonzales also had a good second half at Triple-A with a 141 wRC+, cutting his strikeout rate to 23.8%.

Gonzales’ second base defense looked fine as he had -1 DRS and +1 OAA in 230.2 innings. He’s never been lauded as an outstanding defensive 2B, but can hold his own at the position. He’s always projected as an average, maybe slightly above average defender at the position. He also logged 59 innings at short with +1 DRS and 0 OAA.

The fourth and final potential internal option for second base is Ji Hwan Bae. Bae was not a great hitter, slashing just .231/.291/.311 with a .272 wOBA, and 66 wRC+. Bae had an 8.1% walk rate, but also struck out 24.8% of the time. He hit just two home runs with an ISO under .100, but he did swipe 24 bases and was worth +2.9 base running runs. But it’s not like Bae was always a horrible hitter throughout the year. On June 9th, he was hitting .277/.335/.361. Sure, he had no power, but a .277 AVG and .335 OBP with his speed his a real threat.

Bae’s second base defense was not received well. He had -6 DRS and -2 OAA. But Bae looked decent out in center field this past season. He had -1 DRS, but +3 OAA. His throws from the outfield were also fairly strong, as he was in the 69th percentile of throwing velocity among position players at 87.5 MPH. Among center fielders, he was above average, coming in at 35 out of 65 qualified center fielders.

Trade Market

The trade market has some decent options, one of which could be Ha-Seong Kim. Kim is coming off the best year of his MLB career, batting .260/.351/.390 with a .330 wOBA, and 112 wRC+. The South Korean infielder walked at a strong 12.8% rate with a quality 19.8% strikeout rate. He also hit 17 home runs, a career high by six dingers. He has gotten increasingly better against MLB pitching since making his debut in 2021, but his glove is the real prize here.

At second base, Kim had +10 DRS and +7 OAA. The thing is, he racked up that many runs and outs in just 856.2 innings. He also played 253 innings at third base where he had +3 DRS and +2 OAA, and 153.1 more innings at short with +3 DRS and zero OAA. Combined, he had +16 runs saved and +9 outs above average through his defense.

Kim is only on a one year deal. While you may want to see a longer term player, the Pirates do have Termarr Johnson developing nicely. Kim would be a fantastic one year stopgap, and none of the veteran “just here to keep a seat warm” kind either. Another quality one year stopgap is Brandon Drury.

Drury followed up his strong 2022 season with another solid year. In 523 plate appearances, Drury hit .262/.306/.497, nearly replicating his .263/.320/.492 triple-slash from ‘22. While his 4.8% walk rate and 26% strikeout rate both were unimpressive, he also hit 26 home runs, the second in a row he’s hit at least that many. He finished out the ‘23 campaign with a .339 wOBA, and 114 wRC+.

Drury, while not known for his defensive prowess, looked decent at second base with only -1 DRS, but +5 OAA. While he mostly played the keystone, he also was put at first base for nearly 300 innings where he had -1 DRS and zero OAA. He was a better defensive 2B than he was at 1B, but he’s going to give you good defense at either position on the right side of the infield.

If the Pirates want to go after a guy with multiple years left, Jorge Polanco is already on the trading block by the Minnesota Twins. While Polanco missed nearly exactly half the season, playing in 80 games, he still hit well when given the opportunity. Polanco batted .254/.335/.454 with a .340 wOBA, and 118 wRC+. Polanco has always been a decent power hitter and went yard 14 times with a .199 isolated slugging %. He oddly struck out at a high rate with a 25.7% strikeout rate. For the first six years of his MLB career, he didn’t strike out more than 18.6% of the time in any season. But he did post the second best walk rate of his career at 10.5%.

Polanco has been a consistent thorn in pitchers' sides for years now. The last time he had a wRC+ below 110 in a 162 game season was in 2017. He could get even better in 2024 as he had a .351 expected wOBA and .486 xSLG percentage. But his defense at second base is lackluster. He had +1 DRS, but -5 OAA. Polanco is controlled through 2024 but has an extremely team friendly option for 2025.

Free Agency

To say that this year’s middle infield class is shallow would be an understatement. To put it simply, it makes a kiddie pool look as deep as an Olympic pool. One of the best options is Whit Merrifield, who hit just .272/.318/.382 last season. Merrifield only struck out in 17.1% of his plate appearances, but he was only able to walk at a 6.1% rate. Merrifield has never been one to hit for power and had just a .110 ISO last year. He clocked in with a wRC+ of just 90.

Merrifield’s defense at second base was okay with -4 DRS, but +4 OAA. However, he spent more time in the outfield where he was an even worse defender with -4 DRS and OAA. 2024 will be his age-35 campaign. Merrifield may still be a solid bench utility option, but his days as a regular could be behind him.

The same could be said about former Pirates all-star Adam Frazier, who is also a free agent. It’s been a rough go of things since the Pirates traded Frazier at the 2021 trade deadline. Last season, Frazier batted .240/.300/.396 with a .302 wOBA, and 93 wRC+. While his 14.9% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate aren’t out of the ordinary for him, and his .155 ISO is one of his better single-season remarks, it was a poor season overall as Frazier did not hit for much average.

Once a Gold Glove contender at second base, Frazier had an atrocious year with the leather. He had -4 DRS, but -15 OAA at the keystone. That is the 4th lowest OAA total any second baseman has posted since the stat was created in 2016. Frazier only saw 64 innings in the outfield, but managed to rack up +3 DRS. Frazier, who is going into his age-32 season, may be best served in a utility role.

One of the higher upside free agent middle infielders is Amed Rosario. He is coming off a poor season where he hit just .263/.305/.378 with a wRC+ of 88. However, he was a slightly above-average hitter the two prior seasons, slashing .282/.316/.406 with a 103 wRC+. Rosario consistently posts a walk rate of around 5%, but an above-average, sub-20% strikeout rate. He doesn’t hit for much power and is good for about 10-12 home runs with about 13-15 stolen bases a season.

Rosario is a horrible defensive shortstop, and had -16 DRS and -14 OAA at the position. It is the third time in his career he posted double-digit negatives in OAA. After getting traded to the LA Dodgers, they moved him to second base where he saw more regular action. His defensive metrics looked much better with +3 DRS and a +18.2 UZR/150, with zero OAA, but it was in less than 200 innings at second.

The rest of the second base class includes utility players, or guys who have experience at second base, but is not their primary position. That includes the likes of Enrique Hernandez, Elvis Andrus, Tim Anderson, Donovan Solano, Isaiah-Kiner Falefa, Paul DeJong, and Joey Wendle.

Conclusion

I think this may come down to what the Pirates feel would be the easiest to fill. If first base is easier to resolve, then they don’t absolutely have to look for a second baseman. Jared Triolo’s defense will be enough to get him a longer look. If he can even just be an average hitter, he’ll provide a lot of value. But with Peguero, Gonzales, and Bae also on hand, they have a lot of internal options.

However, let’s say they feel that filling second base with an external option is the best course of action. That would mean pushing Triolo over to first base, Bae likely taking a utility role, and Gonzales and Peguero fighting for a bench role. What route would the Pirates take, and who will they pursue?

The free agent market should be off the table. If the Pirates are looking for someone who can handle the position on a regular basis, there is no free agent that I would rely on to do so. If they want to bring back Adam Frazier, or ink Whit Merrifield, or Amed Rosario as a utility man, then that’s one thing. But none of them should be regulars on the Pirates in 2024. If we are asking one of them to be the regular 2B for 2024, then they might as well roll with Peguero and see if he can recuperate after his rough September.

So that leaves the trade market. I think putting Kim on the Pirates would be a massive upgrade over anyone else. Kim is a solid hitter and an amazing defender. Imagine an infield with him, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Triolo on the corners, and Oneil Cruz as his double play partner. That is three players who could win a Gold Glove next year. Nothing would land in shallow outfield with this quartet of infielders, slow ground balls would basically be automatic outs, and sneaking something down the line would almost be impossible.

Polanco would be the best offensive option. A 20+ homer upside second baseman with quality hitting would be exactly what this team needs, but his lack of defensive prowess is a tad worrying. Having Cruz and Polanco up the middle isn’t the most awe-inspiring group, even if the corners are secured tightly. Drury, however, may not be as good of a defender as Kim, but he can more than hold his own. Plus he comes with the kind of middle of the order bat that would greatly benefit the Pirates. He, along with Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, and Cruz would be potential 25+ home run hitters.

If I was Ben Cherington, I would see what the Padres want for Ha-Seong Kim, and/or what the Angels want for Brandon Drury. Both are outstanding fits, in my opinion. They're both good hitters and can field second base. Obviously, Kim is a Gold Glove fielder while Drury is just good. Still, they're both quality players that fill one of the Pirates' biggest off-season needs; another infielder on the right side.

Next. AFL Position Players. Recapping Pirate Position Player Prospects in the AFL. dark

Home / Pirates News