For Pirates' double play partners Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, the waiting is the hardest part

For Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero, spending spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates showed how close they are to making the major leagues and how far they still have to go.

With Gonzales at second base and Peguero at shortstop — both are capable of playing on the other side of the bag — they have developed into double play partners together the past two-plus years.

“We’re real close,” Gonzales said. “We’ve built that chemistry, so it’s nice because you know what he’s going to do on certain plays and he knows what I’m going to do on certain plays, so you can be prepared for it and go out and perform.”

Theirs is a relationship that extends beyond the diamond, as the duo have become fast friends while playing together at the alternate training site in 2020, High-A Greensboro in 2021 and Double-A Altoona last year.

“It’s a really special thing,” Peguero said. “Hopefully we’ll be together again. When I play next to him, I feel so much support. I feel like someone has my back, no matter what situation we’re into.”

Gonzales and Peguero got an up-close view of the competition for middle infield spots at the major league level, as both knew they were bound to start the season in the minors. Where Peguero is stuck behind Oneil Cruz at shortstop, Gonzales has Ji Hwan Bae, Rodolfo Castro and Tucupita Marcano ahead of him for the starting job at second base.

That reality hit Peguero on Tuesday, when he was reassigned to the minor league camp by the Pirates in the first wave of spring training cuts. Gonzales knows he will soon follow but is focused on the making the most of his chance.

“I don’t really pay attention too much,” Gonzales said. “Bae, Tucupita and Castro are all great players, but I need to worry about myself and getting better every day before I can think about what they’re doing.”

Both are ranked as top-10 prospects in the Pirates’ farm system — Baseball America has Peguero No. 7 and Gonzales No. 8, while MLB Pipeline has Gonzales No. 5 and Peguero No. 6 — but are coming off a season where they endured their share of struggles.

Peguero, 22, made his major league debut in a one-game cameo on June 18 as an emergency call-up from Altoona when Marcano was placed on the covid-19 list. Peguero recorded his first career hit, a single, while going 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts in a 7-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park.

The last-minute roster move taught Peguero a valuable lesson about how quickly things can change and the need to be prepared for his opportunities. Before he could blink, he was back in the minors.

“This game is always surprising,” said Peguero, who was 4 for 14 (.286) with four RBIs in seven Grapefruit League games. “Something I really learned last year before I came to the bigs was you’ve got to be ready because you never know when. Right now, I’m patient waiting for my moment and just working.”

After slashing .259/.305/.387 with 22 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 58 RBIs in 121 games for the Curve, Peguero spent the offseason working to get stronger. Now 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he hopes to prove that he can provide better power numbers.

What Peguero needs to work on most is his defense. He committed 23 errors in 94 games at shortstop and another eight errors in 19 games at second base last season and had a pair of errors for the Pirates this spring. That taught Peguero to practice patience, learn how to play under control and be present in the moment.

“I feel like last year I was rushing a little bit, trying to get back (to the majors). I feel like those things were making it worse and worse,” Peguero said. “My biggest takeaway from last year was understanding to slow down the game a little bit more. Not pressure but more like, you’ve got to do this better instead of just being me, being the Liover Peguero I’ve always been.”

The 2020 No. 7 overall pick out of New Mexico State, where he was regarded as the top hitter in college baseball, Gonzales also is attempting to rediscover himself.

Sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his right foot, he played only 71 games at Altoona last season, where he slashed .263/.383/.429 with 20 doubles, seven homers and 33 RBIs. He found that his short stroke and quick swing backfired when early, as evidenced by a 28.5% strikeout rate.

“Obviously, a little bit of swing and miss we’re working on,” Gonzales said, “because when I do hit the ball, I impact it well, so I’ve got to hit it more and I’ll be successful.”

To make up for lost time, Gonzales played in the Arizona Fall League and batted .279/.351/.500 with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBIs. He also played third base, learning to adjust to the hot corner so that he could provide more positional versatility for the Pirates.

“At first it’s uncomfortable, but now it’s good,” Gonzales said. “At first you don’t know the reads yet, but you take a few days there and a few dozen ground balls and you can understand the feeling with reps, hops and throws. Then you just go out and play.”

Gonzales is slashing .273/.385/.545 this spring, going 3 for 11 with two walks, a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored in eight Grapefruit League games. After watching Peguero play for the Pirates last year, Gonzales is hoping to make his debut this summer.

For now, both are working to make sure they are ready.

“We’ve got to be where our feet are and get better every day in the moment. That’s what I’m focused on,” Gonzales said. “Every day we’re moving closer to get to the big leagues, so that’s what we’re excited about.”