Nick Gonzales' Role with Pirates After Brandon Lowe Trade
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates landed their best bat of the offseason so far in Brandon Lowe in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, which vastly improves their lineup for 2026.
Lowe will most certainly take over at second base and serve as the team’s starter going forward, which changes how the Pirates’ infield and how Nick Gonzales’ future looks like.
Gonzales has spent most of his time at the major league level at second base, but will now have to play elsewhere.
The Pirates still don’t have their infield finalized, so Gonzales could still feature on the team next season.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington Speaks on Nick Gonzales' Role
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made the trade that brought on Lowe, along with outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery, sending away starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade.
Cherington spoke with members of the media about Gonzales and what they see from him going forward.
He said that Gonzales still is someone that see as an important part of the Pirates and that his work ethic has made him so.
Cherington has also seen that from Gonzales since they took him seventh overall in the 2020 MLB Draft and that they think he can continue doing it in 2026 and feature as a part of the Pirates.
“Yeah, good question. I think it's an important question,” Cherington said to John Perrotto of Roundtable Sports. “See him having a really important role on the team. Nick is an important player for us. Think he does some things offensively that are unique and believe fit well with our group. Aggressive making contact. He works his tail off. He's worked his tail off to become a really good and versatile defensive player.
“And the biggest thing about Nick, we can go back to his amateur days in the draft, he's just always met the challenge in front of him. So, we acquired a player who we believe in, who we expect to play some second base, in Brandon Lowe. This is an opportunity for Nick to continue to push for an opportunity on the major league team. We believe that's kind of what he's always done and can see him doing that in any number of ways.”
The Pirates have Spencer Horwitz as their starting first baseman, who could also play second base, plus Jared Triolo, who is a fantastic defensive player and can play all four positions.
Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, has a shot of becoming the starting shortstop for 2026 Opening Day, even without playing at Triple-A.
Gonzales struggled at second base last season, with -11 defensive runs saved, which is just two better than Lowe, at -13 defensive runs saved in 2025.
Cherington didn’t have an answer where Gonzales would feature, as his Opening Day infield isn’t set yet, but that Gonzales is working at both second base and shortstop, both positions he played last season.
“Honestly, we don’t know what the opening day alignment is going to look like,” Cherington said. “The conversations we’ve had recently and even (Friday) were really about training in the offseason and where guys should be getting their reps. Nick Gonzales was already doing his reps at second and short. I see no reason for that to change. He’s proven he can play both spots.”
Nick Gonzales' 2025 Season with the Pirates
He had a strong start for the Pirates in 2025, with a two-run home run on Opening Day on March 27 vs. the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park, but departed the game after his home run trot, as he suffered a non-displaced fracture of the ankle.
Gonzales missed more than two months away from the Pirates before coming back off the injured list on June 3 and staying on the roster the rest of the season.
He slashed .260/.299/.362 for an OPS of .661 in 96 games for the Pirates in 2025, with 99 hits, 18 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 walks to 73 strikeouts.
Gonzales had great months from the plate in June and August, but really poor months hitting in both July and September.
Month | Batting % | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
June | .297 | .343 | .451 | .794 |
July | .202 | .272 | .310 | .582 |
August | .321 | .339 | .366 | .705 |
September | .198 | .229 | .286 | .515 |
He started 85 games at second base, including his first 78 games, before starting 12 games at shortstop in September, with Nick Yorke getting time at second base.
The Pirates selected Gonzales with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of New Mexico and he has slashed .257/.300/.375 for an OPS of .675 in 225 games over three seasons, 220 hits, 45 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs, 92 RBIs and 45 walks to 163 strikeouts.
Gonzales will try and stay healthy throughout the 2026 season and make his mark for the Pirates, as they try and end a decade-long postseason absence.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.