Cam Devanney was at a loss to explain what it meant to finally make his major-league debut Sunday afternoon against the Boston Red Sox in the ballpark that was essentially in his backyard.

For the native of Nashua, N.H. — which is only a 45-mile drive away — to have his family and friends be in the stands at Fenway Park was “just so special.”

“I don’t really have the words to describe how cool it is to make my debut here,” Devanney said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show, “and have all my family and friends in the stands.”

The 28-year-old infielder, acquired from the Kansas City Royals in mid-July in the Adam Frazier trade, made contact for a fly out to right in his first at-bat and drew a walk in his second before striking out twice in the 5-2 loss. But it was his defense at third base that drew Pirates manager Don Kelly’s attention.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Devanney went to his left to snare a sharp grounder by Alex Bregman, dropped to his knees and spun out of the dirt to throw to first base for the final out and prevent the Red Sox from scoring.

“What a play,” Kelly said. “For the first ground ball, first play, to be able to grab that one sliding to his left and make a strong throw to get out of a jam like that … You always want that first ground ball right away, just to calm your nerves a little bit. For it to be in that moment, with that much on the line…”

What a play by Cam Devanney at 3B in his MLB Debut https://t.co/gZC8P13cY4 pic.twitter.com/VZqIoWPted

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) August 31, 2025

Kelly said Devanney’s debut was full of “encouraging signs,” especially considering he was replacing the Gold Glove winner who replaced the Gold Glover winner at third base.

That Devanney’s debut coincided with Isiah Kiner-Falefa being claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays was no accident. After starting the season with a focus on defense and Gold Glove winners in Kiner-Falefa at shortstop and Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base, the Pirates plan to tinker with new combinations on the left side of their infield in September.

Devanney is one of four candidates — along with Ryan Kreidler, Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo — on the active roster who can play shortstop or third base and are expected to do so over the final month of the season.

“Being able to mix and match, it’ll be fluid,” Kelly said. “Guys are going to get opportunities to play and show what they can do and have good at-bats. All of these guys play solid defense.”

Make no mistake, the focus will be on their offensive output.

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa prepares to bat earlier this summer.  

1. Farewell, IKF

By placing Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers, the Pirates promoted the idea they did the veteran super-utility infielder a solid by allowing him to be claimed by a contender in time to be eligible for the postseason.

The unspoken part is that the Blue Jays are now on the hook for the remainder of his $7.5 million salary, which is about $1.25 million. Although there was discussion that Kiner-Falefa was approaching performance bonuses, the Pirates still have to pay a pro-rated share of any extra money he earns this season.

Kiner-Falefa was one of the few Pirates players who performed well offensively in the first half, batting .274/.318/.339 with 11 doubles, two triples, 23 RBIs and 12 stolen bases through the first 83 games while providing solid defense at shortstop.

“We’re going to miss him,” Kelly said. “From when he got traded over, the professionalism, the way that he carried himself, he was a pro every day. He made people around him better. As consistent as you can be as a teammate, as a player. Offensively, defensively, you knew what you were going to get every single day. It’s not a surprise that a team like Toronto that already had him and knows what he brings and is going to the playoffs would be the team that claimed him. He’s a true pro.”

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo turns a double play over the Reds’ Tyler Stephenson earlier this month.  

2. Triolo time

Triolo’s 16-game streak of reaching base safely ended on the final day of August, but his month made a major impression on Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.

Despite going 0 for 5 on Sunday, Triolo batted .315/.417/.467 with six doubles, a triple, two homers, eight RBIs and 17 runs scored in 28 games while making 20 starts at shortstop.

Not bad for someone who was hitting .158 when he was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 9 and wasn’t recalled until after Hayes was traded to Cincinnati at the deadline.

Cherington was asked on his weekly radio show whether Triolo has earned consideration to be the starting shortstop next season.

“Certainly. He’s gotten this runway, and he’s taking advantage of it,” Cherington said on 93.7 FM. “I think it’s clear to us that he can play shortstop, and it’s also clear to us that he can do other things for the team. That gets back to, how do we make the team better in the offseason? It seems pretty clear to me that Triolo is part of the team and we think he could be the shortstop — but we don’t need to make that decision for 2026 quite yet.”

Cherington noted that Triolo’s season requires a look beneath the surface, given that his actual numbers pale in comparison to his expected averages. The on-base percentage was boosted by better swing decisions, as Triolo drew 15 walks against 23 strikeouts.

Cherington said the Pirates grade Triolo as an above-average shortstop but also believe that the 2024 NL Gold Glove utility fielder would be above-average at both third base and second base. His versatility and plus-defense at every position is valued.

“If you’re only looking at the surface performance — what’s the batting average and that kind of thing — then, yeah, you can get fooled,” Cherington said. “But if you look below that — and you mentioned the defense — watching how he’s playing the position, not just is he making errors or not but what plays is he making? Instinctual plays, reaction plays, difficult plays around the bag, all those things. That is real. You can see that play out.”

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham drives in two runs with a double earlier this month.  

3. Fans of Pham

When Andrew McCutchen was asked in an on-field interview about Tommy Pham’s hot bat, the 38-year-old designated hitter didn’t hesitate to sing the praises of the 37-year-old left fielder.

“That’s why you don’t give up on people. That’s why you don’t badmouth, why you don’t talk about people, set standards on people,” McCutchen said. “Because with a person like him, a lot of people had him out. People wanted him out. Look what he’s been able to do in the second half of the season.”

Where Pham had a horrible start in March and April, batting .170 with a .460 OPS, he finished the first half with a respectable .250/.321/.346 slash line. His second half has been strong, batting .289/.376/.463 with seven doubles, a triple, four homers and 20 RBIs since the All-Star break.

“For him to be able to turn his season around like he’s done, it just goes to show: no excuses. You have to work,” McCutchen said. “He’s one of the hardest workers that I’ve played with. I’m happy the numbers are starting to show for him.”

Both Cherington and Kelly have praised Pham for maintaining a positive attitude and influence in the clubhouse amid his scuffles. But when asked whether the Pirates would consider bringing Pham back next year, Cherington called it a conversation for the offseason.

“We have so much respect for Tommy,” Cherington said. “In some ways, the way he handled the early part of the season where it was such a challenge, let us respect him even more. He’s playing really well now. But he handled that tough stretch so well, in terms of his work ethic and still coming to the yard with a positive attitude.

“You can recall there were stretches where he wasn’t playing at all. He continued to be a great teammate. He really has modeled that well. It’s great to see him playing so well recently. I think he’s the type of player that, of course, we want to have a conversation with in the offseason and look at it: ‘Does it make sense?’ ”

ONEIL CRUZ PUTS IT ON TOP OF THE MONSTER ???? pic.twitter.com/2px7rh2r6q

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 30, 2025

4. Finding a fit

Cherington soon answered his own question.

When it was noted that the Pirates return two-thirds of their outfield in Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, Cherington called corner outfield and infield the areas they will look to add.

Whether the Pirates search for a shortstop or third baseman could depend on what they decide to do with Triolo and what is available on the free agent and trade markets.

The Pirates aren’t expected to be big spenders in free agency, but they can deal from a position of strength with their starting pitching depth in the majors and minors to acquire proven bats.

“It’s so important that we win games, and it’s our sole focus. We want to give ourselves the opportunity to really look at as many options that we can possibly look at, including the guys that are here,” Cherington said, “so that we give ourselves the best possible chance to win as many games in 2026 as we can.”

“Especially as well as the Red Sox were playing, definitely take that. … Obviously wish we could’ve gotten the one today, but taking a series at Fenway is always encouraging.”

Don Kelly on the series win in Boston ????️ pic.twitter.com/xJEOq9na5t

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) August 31, 2025

5. Almost 50-50

Not only did the Pirates come up short in their attempt to sweep their three-game series with the Red Sox, but the loss cost Kelly in an interesting milestone.

It marked his 100th game as Pirates manager, and Kelly’s record dropped to 49-51 since replacing Derek Shelton on May 8. That includes a 22-18 record at PNC Park.

Kelly has endured some ups and downs, most notably by following back-to-back sweeps of the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals by getting swept in back-to-back series at the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals.

The Pirates lost 11 of 12 games, including getting swept at home by the AL-worst Chicago White Sox from July 18-20. Since then, the Pirates have won 22 of 38 games, a .579 winning percentage, with sweeps of the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.

The true test comes this week, when the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (77-57) and NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers (83-52) visit PNC Park. The Dodgers will sandwich starts by a pair of left-handers with multiple Cy Young Awards in three-time winner Clayton Kershaw and two-time winner Blake Snell around one by three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday. Snell will face NL Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes in the series finale Thursday.

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