Baseball America just dropped a way-too-early 2029 Pittsburgh Pirates lineup projection, and most of it reads like a dream for a fanbase that’s waited on waves of talent: Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler anchoring a deep rotation, Termarr Johnson in the middle infield, Bryan Reynolds still roving a corner.
Then you get to third base — Jared Triolo is penciled in as the starter. That’s not a shot at Triolo’s glove or feel for the game; it’s a flashing warning light about what it would mean for the organization’s development arc. If the Bucs reach 2029 and are still asking Triolo to carry a cornerstone bat, something upstream went sideways.