Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates willing to give Erik Gonzalez a long look at third base
The Pittsburgh Pirates have failed to find a full-time starter at third base since Pedro Alvarez left the hot corner, trying Jung Ho Kang, David Freese and Colin Moran there to no avail.
Where Freese was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2018 trade deadline, Kang bombed out at the plate last season and Moran hasn’t shown the range the Pirates want defensively.
To find a third baseman, the Pirates could turn to a shortstop.
Erik Gonzalez won the starting job at shortstop last season before breaking his collarbone in a collision with Starling Marte in center field. With Kevin Newman coming off a strong rookie season, Gonzalez is seeing some time at third this spring.
1. Bad break I: Gonzalez was expected to replace Jordy Mercer at shortstop and provide at least a stopgap before Newman or Cole Tucker was ready to start.
Instead, Gonzalez played in only 53 games last season. He was injured in the full-speed collision with Marte when both chased a fly ball by Yangervis Solarte of the San Francisco Giants to shallow center on April 19.
It was a big blow to the Pirates, who lost two starters to injury in one play. Gonzalez missed three months with a broken left collarbone.
“For me, I don’t try to think too much about that,” Gonzalez said softly in the clubhouse at Pirate City. “I don’t want to lose my energy thinking about that.”
2. Bad break II: After making only 156 plate appearances last season, Gonzalez decided to play winter ball to make up for missing so much time in recovery.
While playing for Escogido in his native Dominican Republic, the winter season also was interrupted when Gonzalez hit a foul ball that fractured his left foot.
“That happens. It’s part of the game,” Gonzalez said. “I broke my foot but right now I feel like I’m 95% or something like that. Right now, I feel pretty good. In a couple weeks, I’ll be 100%.”
The Pirates plan to bring Gonzalez along slowly, managing his game volume during Grapefruit League play. But he’ll get a long look at third base this spring.
3. Short fuse: Gonzalez doesn’t want to dwell on the injuries, even though they have cost critical playing time for the 28-year-old who was acquired from Cleveland in a trade.
If he had his preference, Gonzalez would still be at short.
“I like to play shortstop and I want to play shortstop,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why I put (the collision) out of my mind. If I play shortstop, I don’t want to be angry about that. No, I just play and put all my energy into where they need me. I can’t use my energy thinking that something could happen tomorrow.”
Like a possible position switch.
4. Something super: Gonzalez knows his best chance of making the major-league roster is in a super-utility role, where his competition could be JT Riddle or Kevin Kramer.
Not only has Gonzalez played shortstop, second base and third base, but he’s also seen action in the outfield with the Indians and Pirates. He knows his versatility is key.
“That’s the key when you play shortstop. You can play every position,” Gonzalez said. “Every team needs a guy who can play everywhere. That’s important for every team in the league.”
But the Pirates might have other ideas.
5. Hot topic: Moran started 118 games and played in 149 last season, providing some pop with 13 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Gonzalez has six homers and 33 RBIs — in his career.
But the Pirates are making a push to improve defensively. Where Moran’s range is rather limited, Gonzalez could be an upgrade playing alongside Newman.
“When I play shortstop, I play like a third baseman,” Gonzalez said. “I put my body low. That’s how you play third base. That’s why I feel most comfortable there.”
Ke’Bryan Hayes is one of the Pirates’ top prospects and a Gold Glove-caliber defender at third base, but he likely requires more grooming against Triple-A pitching.
Until Hayes is ready, new Pirates general manager Ben Cherington seems intrigued by the possibility of trying Gonzalez at third base.
“We want to see what he’s capable of doing,” Cherington said. “He’s obviously a talented defender when healthy but there’s also some things he does offensively that’s really exciting, too. He’s going to need at-bats and time to develop in that area. He’s one of many guys we’re looking forward to getting to know better.”
And Gonzalez is looking forward to showing he might be the Pirates’ best alternative at third base.
Love baseball? Stay up-to-date with the latest Pittsburgh Pirates news.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.