Kevin Gorman stories, Page 19
‘I’ve accepted it’: With Oneil Cruz in center field, Pirates believe his ceiling is cathedral
BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz comes from a family of shortstops, so his switch to center field late last season came with concerns about whether the Pittsburgh Pirates star would accept the new position. Before Cruz left the Dominican Republic for spring training, his 6-year-old son provided the true test...
Pirates announce broadcast schedule for Grapefruit League games
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that SportsNet Pittsburgh will televise a dozen home games in Grapefruit League play this spring and show their opponents’ broadcast in seven others. The broadcast schedule includes this weekend’s openers, Saturday at the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and Sunday’s home opener against the...
Spencer Horwitz takes a step in recovery, fielding grounders at first base for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Spencer Horwitz is finally playing first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even if his activity is limited to fielding grounders after workouts at Pirate City. His first spring training since being acquired by the Pirates was disrupted before it even started when Horwitz underwent surgery on his...
Receptive to right field, Pirates All-Star Bryan Reynolds wants to dispel defensive doubts
BRADENTON, Fla. — Playing right field at PNC Park can be an adventure. Not only is Bryan Reynolds ready for the ride, but the two-time All-Star outfielder is motivated to dispel defensive doubts and prove everyone wrong. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton revealed the plan to move Reynolds to right...
Tommy Pham makes smash-bang introduction as Pirates set expectation to ‘win in the margins’
BRADENTON, Fla. — The message manager Derek Shelton delivered to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the first full-squad workout of spring training was about the expectation of winning, a new mantra for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. After following back-to-back 100-loss seasons with successive 76-win seasons,...
Who’s on first?: Finding a first baseman a priority for Pirates as spring training starts
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a revolving door at first base since trading Josh Bell to Washington in December 2020, a year after he was an All-Star who hit 37 home runs and had 116 RBIs. The turnstile is at 23 players and counting now that the...
Pirates’ Paul Skenes embraces expectations to improve efficiency for encore to rookie season
BRADENTON, Fla. — Where Paul Skenes came to spring training last year looking to live up to his billing as the No. 1 overall draft pick and make his major-league debut, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander arrived at Pirate City last week as — in his words — “definitely a different...
‘It feels like home’: Adam Frazier brings playoff experience in return to roots with Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. – When Adam Frazier returned to the practice fields at Pirate City, he was greeted with handshakes and hugs by Pittsburgh Pirates teammates old and new. Frazier, 33, signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract late last month to return to the team that drafted and developed him and...
GM Ben Cherington: Pirates ‘not on the doorstep’ of making a major move at first base
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pittsburgh Pirates have a glaring hole at first base, but if they are about to make a big move to bolster their roster, it’s news to general manager Ben Cherington. Cherington said the Pirates are still talking to free agents and open to potential trades, but...
Bonded by surgeries, Pirates RHP Johan Oviedo, C Endy Rodriguez share special bullpenVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Endy Rodriguez wore Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses under his mask while catching Johan Oviedo’s bullpen, giving a backstop view of the imposing Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander. It was the first bullpen of spring training for Oviedo, who is returning after sitting out last season while recovering from surgery to...
Key to being healthy: Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes hopes he conquered chronic back issues
BRADENTON, Fla. — On a day where the attention is typically focused on the first workout for pitchers and catchers, all eyes were on Ke’Bryan Hayes taking grounders and making throws across the infield. The 2023 NL Gold Glove third baseman showed positive signs Wednesday morning at Pirate City, smiling...
With Spencer Horwitz out after wrist surgery, Pirates explore internal options at 1st base
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a serious setback before spring training started, as newly acquired first baseman Spencer Horwitz will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery. Horwitz’s absence, possibly for the entirety of spring training, forces general manager Ben Cherington to go back to the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Health of Ke’Bryan Hayes tops Pirates’ spring training storylines
Ke’Bryan Hayes knows his best ability for the Pittsburgh Pirates is his availability, and lingering injuries have been the biggest liability of his major-league career. When healthy, Hayes is an elite defender at third base with an NL Gold Glove on his resume. He was a 4.0 WAR player voted...
With a superstar in pitcher Paul Skenes, the Pirates start spring training ‘ready to win’
While the start of spring training represents a season of endless possibilities, the Pittsburgh Pirates begins theirs on Wednesday with an air of certainty because of one player: Paul Skenes. The Pirates know they have a superstar in Skenes, the 6-foot-6 All-Star right-handed pitcher who blew away batters with his...
Dave Parker’s Hall of Fame plaque will depict the 1978 NL MVP wearing a Pirates cap
When Dave Parker is enshrined in Cooperstown this summer, his plaque will have him wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates cap, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Monday. Parker, a seven-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time batting champion and 1978 National League MVP, will have his plaque revealed...
Analysis: With Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton on hot seat, Pirates must find ways to win
In a pitch to pacify a frustrated fan base, Pittsburgh Pirates president Travis Williams acknowledged their passion was evident “because we’re not winning and have expectations of winning” before assuring everyone about the club’s commitment to want to win. To prove how close the Pirates are to winning, Williams pointed...
‘Speak up’: Pirates stars Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds vow to be more vocal leaders
They were traded for one another in one of the most controversial moves in recent Pittsburgh Pirates history, a deal that sent franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco for an unproven Bryan Reynolds. The two have tiptoed around that topic the past two seasons, even as they formed the...
Pirates by Position: Paul Skenes brings star power to a deep, young starting rotation
After setting a Pittsburgh Pirates rookie record for strikeouts and posting the lowest ERA by a rookie since the Dead Ball Era, Paul Skenes is taking a three-step approach to spring training. “Volume. Facing hitters again. Punching dudes out,” Skenes said last month at PiratesFest. The 6-foot-6 right-hander went 11-3...
Pirates by Position: Bounce-back year by closer David Bednar could be key to bullpen success
Ben Cherington will be the first to admit the Pittsburgh Pirates expected their bullpen to be dominant last season, and their general manager is the first to acknowledge its shortcomings. Adding seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman to a back end that featured two-time All-Star closer David Bednar was supposed to deliver...
Pirates to sign veteran OF Tommy Pham to 1-year, $4.025M contract
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed a glaring need but did so by adding a 36-year-old outfielder who has played for nine teams in 11 seasons, including five trips to the postseason. A source confirmed to TribLive that the Pirates agreed to terms with Tommy Pham on a one-year, $4.025 million contract...
Pirates by Position: Competition for corner outfield alongside Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds
Now that the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a seismic shift by moving Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field — a switch to which they appear committed — they are attempting to address another gaping hole. With Cruz and two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds, two-thirds of their outfield appears set. But after...
Pirates announce hirings, promotions of directors in baseball operations reorganization
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington formally announced Wednesday the hiring of several baseball operations directors and staff promotions as part of a promised reorganization of the front office. Mike Voltmer joins the Pirates as the new vice president of pro evaluation and strategy after eight years with the reigning...
Pirates by Position: Isiah Kiner-Falefa takes over at SS, Nick Gonzales settles in at 2B
When the Pittsburgh Pirates moved Oneil Cruz to center field late last August, it solved a problem at one position but appeared to create another: With Cruz in the outfield, who would play shortstop? The immediate answer was Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started 17 of the next 20 games at shortstop...
Pirates by Position: Counting on 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes’ health, 1B Spencer Horwitz’s hitting
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a trio of Gold Glove winners and a player billed as the “significant acquisition” of the offseason, yet their corner infield spots might be the biggest question marks in the lineup. Defensively, the Pirates are in good hands at third base, whether Ke’Bryan Hayes or Jared...
Pirates sign lefty reliever Tim Mayza, designate middle infielder Alika Williams for assignment
To add left-handed reliever Tim Mayza to their 40-man roster Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates cleared room in the middle of their infield by designating Alika Williams for assignment. Williams, 25, started 44 games at shortstop and 15 at second base for the Pirates over the past two seasons since being...
