SARASOTA, Fla. -- Maybe it happens on the golf course.
Or if he forgets something while packing for road trips.
But in some facet of his life, human nature would seemingly tell us that Jared Triolo is affected by something.
“He’s very stoic,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said Wednesday. “Even last year when we sent him [to the Minor Leagues], it was the same.
“He dominates his business every day, which is really impressive to see.”
Triolo’s stoicism, especially this offseason and throughout Spring Training, has certainly been valuable to the Pirates, who continue to expect the 28-year-old to play a prominent role on this year’s club.
There’s been the plenty of chatter about the Pirates adding a third baseman, which they eventually did in Tyler Callihan.
A defender every bit as good as Ke’Bryan Hayes, Triolo had no issue moving to another spot -- or playing six different positions -- if that’s what helped the team.
Then along came Konnor Griffin, impressing everyone with his power and precociousness. The top prospect in MLB could make the Opening Day roster, or the Pirates could have him start at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Either way, same deal for Triolo. He’s the easygoing one in your friend group, the one with no opinion on where to eat dinner, the one who’s really just good with anything.
“As long as I take care of what I need to do and swing the bat well, I feel like I’m in a good spot,” Triolo said.
Fair enough. And we’ll address Triolo’s offense, because the Pirates do need more of that out of him. But there’s no way ignoring the outside noise or being as fungible position-wise is as easy as Triolo makes it seem, right?
“I don’t think it’s easy for anybody,” Triolo said. “But I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
It’s kind of become Triolo’s persona, mixed with some of the deadpan, sneaky-good sense of humor that drives Bryan Reynolds. There’s pretty much nothing capable of shaking a “Tri.”
Including, as Kelly mentioned, that demotion to Triple-A last July 11, when Triolo was hitting just .158 with a .519 OPS.
When that happened, Triolo knew he needed to change. It resulted in some swing tweaks, where he’s been more upright and his hands are higher. It’s what has always felt most natural. And it produced important results that Triolo is now trying to continue.
You know, part of the whole consistency thing.
“Body’s feeling good,” Triolo said. “Just trying to pick up where I left off last year.”
Triolo appeared in 52 games after returning from the Minors and hit .276 with a .775 OPS. When you factor in his defense, during that stretch Triolo was worth a team-high 1.7 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. Over at Baseball Reference, no Pirates position player had a higher bWAR throughout all of 2025 than Triolo (2.3).
Which, again, is why Triolo will be part of this team in some capacity. It’s just still not set where that might be -- and it could be bouncing around to multiple spots, something Triolo did exceedingly well in 2025.
With nine defensive runs saved (per FanGraphs), leading all utility Gold Glove finalists, Triolo had a case to become the Pirates’ first back-to-back winner since Starling Marte (2015-16). His fielding run value (Baseball Savant) of five put Triolo tied for first among finalists.
“[Triolo] has always been able to do a number of things to help the team win games,” general manager Ben Cherington said this past January. “We’re confident with him at shortstop. We’re confident in him at third base. We’re also confident with him being on the team and playing six spots and moving around. It could be any of those.”
Not every player can handle that sort of uncertainty, but it’s what makes Triolo endearing. Nothing rattles him. He’s the same guy, with a staunch refusal to exit his comfort zone, unless like last July, poor results give him a reason.
Even when discussing gloves and bouncing between positions, Triolo prefers a 12-inch glove at third base and shortstop. Most shortstops will use something smaller to get the ball out faster. Triolo prefers the consistency of what he uses at third.
“I like it,” Triolo said. “Try to take out as many variables as you can.”
Which is why, as there’s been plenty of postulating around third base or shortstop, Triolo has remained steady.
He worked out this winter at the same place, DST (Dynamic Sports Training) in Houston. This spring, he’s focused on clean footwork at either spot, plus double-play turns required at shortstop.
At the plate, Triolo has carried over the results, slashing .333/.417/.429 through his first nine Grapefruit League games, with three RBIs and five runs scored prior to Wednesday’s game in Sarasota.
In other words, exactly what the Pirates hope to get from Triolo this season.
“You know what you’re going to get every single day,” Kelly said. “He’s locked in. He does what he needs to do every single day. We’ve talked about it before, but when he won the Gold Glove [in 2024], he didn’t have the best offensive season. But still posted on defense, which can be difficult for some players to do.
“‘Tri’ is locked in, in the moment, every day. That makes it a lot easier for us.”
Around the horn
Brandon Lowe was removed from the Pirates' lineup as a precaution due to lower-body tightness. He's expected to go through a normal practice session with the group of players remaining at LECOM Park.