Pirates Experimenting with Two New First Base Options
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have looked for their full-time first baseman for 2025 and have tried many different options.
Austin Bechtold of 93.7 The Fan said that Pirates play-by-play commentator Greg Brown reported that catcher Endy Rodríguez and outfielder Jack Suwinski both played first base during an intrasquad scrimmage game on March 7.
Greg Brown just said on @937thefan that Endy Rodriguez and Jack Suwinski both played first base in an intrasquad game yesterday.
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) March 8, 2025
Something to keep an eye on.
Rodríguez has played catcher for the Pirates since he arrived in a three-team trade from the New York Mets on Jan. 19, 2021, which involved the Pirates sending right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres.
He moved up quickly through the Pirates' minor league system, making it from Bradenton Marauders in Single-A in 2021 to Indianapolis Indians in Triple-A by the end of 2022.
Rodríguez started the 2023 season with Indianapolis, slashing .268/.356/.415, with 73 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 38 RBIs and 36 walks in 67 games.
The Pirates called him up on July 17, where he made his debut in an 11-0 loss at home vs. the Cleveland Guardians.
Rodríguez played 57 games for the Pirates the rest of 2023, slashing .220/.284/.328 with 41 hits, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, 13 RBIs and 17 walks.
He suffered an injury during winter ball that offseason and underwent reconstructive surgery on ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and flexor tendon on Dec. 12, which kept him out for the 2024 campaign.
Rodríguez did come back for 10 games at the end of 2024, playing six with the Double-A Altoona Curve and four with Indianapolis.
Suwinski spent almost all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Pirates, but struggled immensely this past season.
He slashed .182/.264/.324 in 88 games with 27 walks to 79 strikeouts, 45 hits in 247 at-bats and just nine home runs.
The Pirates sent him down to Indianapolis twice, where he hit slighty better, .239/.307/.444 in 48 games with 43 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 27 RBIs.
Neither play has started first base for the Pirates during spring training, who have had six different players at the position so far through 15 games.
The Pirates have had both Darrick Hall and DJ Stewart start at first base four times each, both Jared Triolo and Nick Yorke twice and both Adam Frazier and Billy Cook once.
Pittsburgh landed Spencer Horwitz in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians this offseason, but Horwitz has missed time with a right wrist injury.
The Pirates start their regular season on March 27 against the Miami Marlins on the road.
