The Pittsburgh Pirates have done a lot of work this offseason, but questions still remain. One of the most burning issues is how they plan to solve the left side of the infield.

Shortstop likely has an in-house solution, with Konnor Griffin to receive every opportunity to make the opening day roster, and is nearly guaranteed to ascend to the bigs early in 2026 if it doesn’t happen immediately after spring training.

Third base is the real conundrum in Pittsburgh. The Pirates would have loved to pencil in Kazuma Okamoto at the hot corner, but they came up short thanks to an 11th-hour push by the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

To his credit, Ben Cherington recognizes the issue, and the club has been in contact with free-agent third basemen Eugenio Suarez and Yoan Moncada. Suarez––and his bat––would be the fans’ preference, but his age and salary demands make him a tough fit for Pittsburgh.

That leaves a Moncada signing to platoon with the glove-first Jared Triolo as the most likely outcome, and there are a number of reasons why.

A Yoan Moncada-Jared Triolo platoon at third is the Pirates’ most likely solution for the hot corner

First, a history lesson. A little over a decade ago, the Boston Red Sox gave a then-20-year-old Moncada a record-setting $31.5 million signing bonus as an international free agent and quickly became the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball.

The man at the helm of the Red Sox at the time? None other than Ben Cherington.

Moncada played all of eight games in Boston before he was shipped off to the Chicago White Sox in a trade to land Chris Sale.

There’s an obvious connection there, and while Moncada’s career hasn’t panned out exactly as expected, his 2025 campaign was something of a resurgence. Sort of.

As the White Sox began to disintegrate and many of their young talents stagnated, Moncada hit several bumps in the road. The 2022 saw him post a career-worst 76 wRC+, while 2023 was a bit of a rebound to a league-average mark, and 2024 was nearly wiped out entirely by injury. From 2022 through last season, the Cuban native has averaged just 73 games played per season.

Moncada logged 84 games played in 2025 as a variety of ailments limited his availability, but it was still a vast improvement over the 12 contests he appeared in during the 2024 season.

Moncada’s bat rebounded to a degree, too. His .234/.336/.448 line was 18% better than league average, his .214 ISO was his best power performance since his 2019 breakout, and his 11.1% walk rate helped him get on base at a healthy clip despite the poor batting average and 26% strikeout rate.

Injuries are obviously a concern, but power and patience are two things Pittsburgh’s lineup could still use. While Moncada is a switch-hitter, he’s really become more of a platoon bat at this point in his career. Last season, he posted an .815 OPS against righties and a putrid .477 mark against southpaws.

That’s where Triolo comes in. He’s is a superior defender to Moncada after injuries sapped his athleticism, and the Pirates’ utilityman performed very well against left-handed pitching last season, slashing .275/.339/.459.

In a timeshare with Moncada, Triolo can help keep the 30-year-old healthy, and between the two of them, the Pirates could get a roughly .800 OPS type of performance out of third base. That’s nothing to sneeze at. Moncada will also come much cheaper than Suarez, who brings a lot of the same concerns (aside from health) to the table.

A Moncada-Triolo platoon might not be a ceiling raiser, but it does give the Pirates a higher floor as long as Moncada can stay healthy enough to hold up the strong side of the platoon. And sometimes, raising the floor is all you really need.

A warning from environmental officials to pet owners: It’s coyote mating season, which means coyote-human interactions are likely to increase.

Over the weekend in Ridgefield, a coyote had to be euthanized after biting a local resident. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) believed, based on initial reports, that the animal was ill.

Attacks on humans by coyotes are extremely rare, but coyotes are common in Connecticut. Officials said it’s important to understand the steps to keep yourself and your pets safe.

At the turn of the new year, you might see or hear the eastern coyote more.

“We heard about the incident in West Hartford about a year and a half ago,” said Bob Goodman, a resident of West Hartford himself.

Goodman is referring to a December 2024 coyote attack on a dog, which left the dog fighting for its life.

Goodman said protecting his dog is always a top priority.

The eastern coyote is common in Connecticut and has been reported in every town and city in the state. January marks the start of mating season for the species, so they naturally become more territorial.

“We will see a kind of behavior that people interpret to be more aggressive because coyotes are acting more boldly,” said Geoff Krukar, a wildlife biologist with DEEP.

Krukar said this aggression is often seen toward other dogs, so keeping your dog on a leash and under control when out is key.

Kurkar also recommends keeping an eye on pets outside, even in your own backyard, and even if they are only out for a moment.

“If your dog or cat is not being watched, there is an opportunity for a negative interaction with a coyote,” he said.

Small dogs are particularly vulnerable because they are seen as prey. There is coyote-preventive gear that owners can purchase for extra protection against predators.

“We bring a flashlight with us, and we scan the backyard to make sure there is no coyote lurking,” said Goodman.

For Goodman, it’s personal; he has known friends and family who have had their pets killed by coyotes. He said he would rather take an extra second to stay with his dog or check his own backyard to prevent anything tragic.

If you are alone and encounter a coyote, DEEP explains it’s best to make your presence known by making noise and then leaving the area.

It’s also around this time of year that coyotes might consider finding a den close to a home, such as under a porch or near a foundation. Krukar said you can take steps to prevent them from choosing a spot near a home, like running a radio near a den to scare them off.

Keeping coyotes away from a home can also mean securing trash and removing any food sources, as with strategies to prevent bears.

Federal law enforcement officers overseeing the Maine border recently placed rush orders for cold weather gear, mirroring similar moves in Minnesota as cities here brace for a large operation expected here next week.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Houlton Sector, which oversees border security for the entire state, filed a federal notice Thursday seeking a contract with Crye Precision LLC, a Brooklyn-based tactical gear and apparel company, for the “rapid” acquisition of “cold weather apparel.” It did not specify a dollar amount or quantity.

The purchase order is a potential sign of an impending federal raid planned for Maine because it mirrors similar steps taken by immigration authorities ahead of a massive ongoing operation in the Minneapolis area that began in late December. Portland and Lewiston have been quiet but anxious as residents prepare for a potential surge in arrests.

Neither a Houlton sector spokesperson nor Crye Precision responded to messages seeking comment. The company sells items ranging from tactical clothing to bulletproof vests.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed two orders for parkas for special agents “to support an urgent enforcement mission” in St. Paul, one of the two major cities where their activity has focused, according to federal records. ICE also placed two more orders for cold-weather gear this month, but it did not specify where those jackets would be going.

At least 2,000 federal agents were sent to support the operation earlier this month, and 1,000 more were sent this week in what President Donald Trump’s administration has called the largest operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security.

The Minnesota raid came after federal prosecutors there charged nearly 100 people in November for welfare and Medicaid fraud schemes centered on a large Somali community there. An immigration agent shot and killed a woman in her car last week as massive protests broke out against Trump’s policies.

Maine has drawn scrutiny after state officials paused MaineCare payments to an immigrant health care provider after identifying a credible allegation of fraud just before Christmas.

Two interpreters connected to another provider are facing federal tax fraud charges for an interpreter fraud scheme that a federal law enforcement official warned several years ago could be widespread.

On Tuesday, Trump mentioned those fraud allegations in Maine that have so far been focused on the state’s Somali population.

“They’re scammers. They always will be, and we’re getting them out,” he said. “In Maine, it’s really crooked as hell, too.”