PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – After the free agent addition of Brandon Lowe it had to seem grim for Pirates 2020 first-round pick Nick Gonzales. Now another opportunity for the infielder to carve a place for himself after the Bucs decided to send Konnor Griffin to the minors on Saturday.
Gonzales was set to prove himself as the everyday second baseman last year and on Opening Day, as he was trotting on a home run, he suffered a left ankle fracture. Gonzales landed on the 60-day injured list and as he was rehabbing in AAA he was hit on the hand by a pitch, but was able to play through that injury.
The right-handed hitter would eventually return in June and get most of the 2025 starts hitting .260/.299/.661 OPS with 18 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 30 RBI. The season was up-and-down for the former New Mexico star. His best month was August, a .321 average in 112 at bats, but ended the season hitting only .198 with a .229 on-base percentage and .286 slugging in September.
Pirates went looking for an upgrade, and with Spencer Horwitz’s ability to play second base, Gonzales was looking at a battle maybe just to make the roster after Lowe’s signing.
Now with Konnor Griffin sent down, it’s likely Gonzales is the everyday shortstop.
The 26-year-old hit .270 with a .709 OPS with 19 doubles and 49 RBI in 2024. He’s played the second-most games at his MLB career at short with a .935 fielding percentage, four errors in 30 games without great range.
There have been flashes for Gonzales. He’s under team control until 2030, but what he does in however much time he has before Griffin takes that position for what the Pirates believe is a long run, will not just impact the Pirates 2026 season, but his future in Pittsburgh.