As a whole, the Pirates ranked 29th in total shortstop fWAR at -0.3. The two players who manned that position in 2020 were Erik Gonzalez (0.1 fWAR) and Kevin Newman (-0.4 fWAR). Cole Tucker is also primarily a shortstop but spend his 2020 learning how to play in the outfield.
So which one of these shortstops should open next season as the team’s starter? Let’s make the case for each.
Erik Gonzalez
In my opinion, of these three options, Gonzalez has the most raw talent. His fielding is solid. He runs fairly fast (27.3 ft/sec). And although he is inconsistent as a hitter, Gonzalez has shown some flashes of power.