Kevin Gorman stories, Page 2
Power in The Password: Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia makes strong 1st impression on Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Spencer Horwitz marveled at the home run display by a group of hitters that included Jhostynxon Garcia while standing on the infield Saturday at Pirate City during batting practice. When the right handed-hitting Garcia launched a ball over the fence at the 410-foot mark in right-center of...
Pirates promote Cibney Bello to assistant pitching coach after Thomas Whitsett resigns
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly learned weeks before the start of spring training there would be a change to his coaching staff, which made for a difficult decision. The Pirates promoted Cibney Bello to the major-league staff as the assistant pitching coach to replace Thomas Whitsett, who resigned for personal...
Pirates catcher Henry Davis hopes deep dive into biomechanics data improves his hitting
BRADENTON, Fla. — Since selecting Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Pirates have raved about his obsessive work ethic and effort to improve at and behind the plate. Davis knows he’s a better hitter than his batting average suggests. Given that the...
Pirates great Elroy Face, Baron of the Bullpen and pioneer of closer role, dies at age 97
Known as the “Baron of the Bullpen,” Elroy Face was a pioneer for modern-day closers in baseball who made the forkball famous and played a vital role for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 World Series champions. A three-time All-Star, Face owns Major League Baseball’s career record for most wins in relief,...
Konnor Griffin eyes starting shortstop job for Pirates, shows ‘no fear’ in facing Paul Skenes
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin swears he set the same expectations for spring training as last year, when he was less than a year removed from high school and wanted to be a sponge who soaked up every ounce of information he could in big-league camp. Griffin knows the baseball...
Baseball won’t sleep on Paul Skenes, even if Pirates ace has ‘no more made-up pitches’Video
BRADENTON, Fla. — Whether Paul Skenes was straight-faced serious or acting intentionally ignorant to protect a new pitch before its unveiling in a game, only the Pittsburgh Pirates ace knows. But Skenes swore that he’s never heard of the “sleeper” despite a revelation late last month on MLB Network that...
‘Andrew will always be a Pirate’: Marcell Ozuna signing could spell end of McCutchen era
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ben Cherington is aware one of his most celebrated moves this offseason could be his most controversial for the Pittsburgh Pirates, considering what the writing on the wall means for a franchise great. By agreeing to a one-year contract worth $12 million with free-agent slugger Marcell Ozuna,...
Adding Marcell Ozuna solves DH dilemma but creates confusion in projecting Pirates roster
A team once infamously dubbed a “hodgepodge of nothingness” by Dennis Eckersley now has a lineup littered with All-Stars after the Pittsburgh Pirates added another in Marcell Ozuna. By agreeing with Ozuna to a one-year contract worth $12 million Monday, the Pirates not only pushed their payroll above $100 million...
‘Be yourself’: In 1st spring as Pirates manager, Don Kelly accepts advice from Hall of Famer
Don Kelly is past the pinch-me phase of being manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, yet the Mt. Lebanon and Point Park alum was so stunned by one fun factoid that he let out a hearty laugh in disbelief. After Mike Sullivan was relieved of duties in April after 10 seasons...
Pirates add big bat by agreeing with DH Marcell Ozuna on 1-year contract
The Pittsburgh Pirates completed the final piece of the puzzle in an aggressive offseason designed to add some pop to baseball’s least productive offense by agreeing Monday morning to a free-agent deal with Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna will sign a one-year contract for $12 million, pending the passing of a physical,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Top storylines to watch for as Pirates start spring training
The Pittsburgh Pirates have endured seven consecutive losing seasons, finishing either in last place or tied for last in six of them, so it’s not often they are associated with consensus or unanimous in a positive way. But the Pirates enter spring training with the unanimous winner of the National...
Pirates by Position: Whether a 1-man job or rotation, designated hitter could be different
Despite their pursuit of pop in free agency, the Pittsburgh Pirates have maintained their position that the designated hitter doesn’t necessarily have to be a one-man job. The DH spot has been occupied the past three seasons by Andrew McCutchen, but the 39-year-old franchise icon remains an unsigned free agent...
Pirates by position: Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds look to bounce back; expect battle in left field
Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds are considered unquestioned starters who compose two-thirds of the outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates, yet both provided plenty of question marks last season. With Cruz in center field and Reynolds in right, the Pirates are more concerned with who will cover the cavernous ground in...
Pirates add pitching depth by signing righty Jose Urquidy
The Pittsburgh Pirates struck out on another top free agent target when left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez signed with the Detroit Tigers but added one of his former teammates Thursday. The Pirates agreed to sign right-hander Jose Urquidy to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, a source confirmed to TribLive. The 30-year-old...
Pirates by Position: Infield adds 2 All-Stars, but will Konnor Griffin start season at shortstop?
The Pittsburgh Pirates opened last season with a pair of Gold Glove winners on the left side of the infield — shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes — and question marks on the right side. This spring, their lineup could feature a pair of All-Stars — first baseman...
Led by top prospect Konnor Griffin, Pirates boast Baseball America’s No. 1 farm system
Boosted by shortstop Konnor Griffin, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, the Pittsburgh Pirates can claim the sport’s top farm system according to Baseball America rankings released Wednesday. The Pirates boast four of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects: Griffin, right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler (No. 15), outfielder Edward Florentino (No. 28) and right-hander...
Pirates by Position: Endy Rodriguez, Rafael Flores look to fit in at catcher
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting lineup included Endy Rodriguez on Opening Day and Rafael Flores in the season finale, but the 25-year-olds will start spring training wondering where they fit into the roster. Although both are catchers who can play first base, the majority of their major-league starts came at the...
Pirates add 6 non-roster invitees to big league camp
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced an additional six players will attend big league camp as non-roster invitees. Catcher Derek Berg, first baseman Nick Cimillo, right-handed pitcher Michael Darrell-Hicks, left-handed pitcher Nick Dombkowski, outfielder/infielder Mitch Jebb and infielder Alika Williams were invited to camp, which opens Feb. 16 at Pirate City in...
Pirates by position: Bullpen boosted by addition of a pair of flamethrowing lefties
The Pittsburgh Pirates knew the Tampa Bay Rays had a left-handed reliever with a reputation for his impressive velocity but didn’t know much more about him. After throwing 15 of his 16 pitches for strikes — touching triple digits on a handful, including a 102.2 four-seamer against Joey Bart —...
Pirates by Position: Paul Skenes anchors starting rotation expecting battle at back end
The Pittsburgh Pirates opened their offseason on the premise that they had a solid foundation with their starting pitching, one that was deep enough to allow them to address their offensive inefficiencies. With a rotation anchored by 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and featuring former All-Star...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates ace Paul Skenes has something up sleeve with ‘sleeper’
When MLB Network ranked its “Top 10 Starting Pitchers Right Now” on Wednesday night, the biggest revelation involved Paul Skenes, but it wasn’t that the Pittsburgh Pirates ace didn’t rank at the top of the list. Skenes has something up his sleeve in the form of a new pitch. That...
Building a consensus: Pirates abuzz about Konnor Griffin being baseball’s No. 1 prospect
Some of the biggest buzz for the Pittsburgh Pirates surrounded a shortstop who was neither in attendance at PiratesFest nor has played a game yet in the major leagues but is being billed as a future superstar. Konnor Griffin became baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect entering the 2026 season when...
‘Rip the jersey off of me’: Free agent franchise icon Andrew McCutchen lashes out at Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates icon Andrew McCutchen publicly lashed out at his treatment from the franchise Saturday in a late-night social media post in response to comments by general manager Ben Cherington at PiratesFest regarding the free-agent designated hitter’s future. “There’s more work to do and I’m not done, no matter what...
‘A different level of energy’: Pirates fans express excitement amid aggressive offseason
As Travis Williams walked around the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Pittsburgh Pirates president found fans to be just as passionate about the baseball club as ever. Just not as angry. A year after PiratesFest was met with protests from fans frustrated with team chairman Bob Nutting’s lack of...
Following bad season with a big chop, Oneil Cruz focuses on fulfilling potential for Pirates
Oneil Cruz had a black beanie pulled tight over his head, trying to conceal his biggest change of an ultra-important offseason for the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder. The first thing Cruz did upon returning to his native Dominican Republic was to have his barber chop off the shoulder-length dreadlocks he...
