Kevin Gorman stories, Page 82
Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes returns to starting lineup in time for Opening Day at St. Louis
After missing the final week of spring training with a sprained ankle, Ke’Bryan Hayes returned in time to start at third base in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day lineup at the St. Louis Cardinals. Hayes is one of only three returning Pirates starters from the 2021 opener, along with center...
Pirates finalize Opening Day 28-man roster, signing OF Jake Marisnick, C Andrew Knapp
The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized their 28-man Opening Day roster, signing outfielder Jake Marisnick and catcher Andrew Knapp to one-year contracts to address depth at their positions. Marisnick’s contract will pay him $1.3 million while Knapp’s deal is for $800,000 plus incentives, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. To make room...
Pirates sign 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes to 8-year, $70 million deal as franchise cornerstone
The Pittsburgh Pirates made Ke’Bryan Hayes their franchise cornerstone just hours before first pitch on Opening Day, reaching an agreement on an eight-year, $70 million contract that is the richest in club history. The deal, first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray and confirmed by the Tribune-Review, includes a club...
Predicting the World Series champ, award winners for 2022 MLB season
NL MVP Juan Soto, Nationals Soto has the best eye in baseball, drawing an MLB-best 145 walks against 93 strikeouts last season. He didn’t put up eye-popping power numbers, slashing .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs and 95 RBIs, and finished second in MVP voting. Soto could see more strikes with...
Q&A with Pirates manager Derek Shelton: ‘I trust that we’re going to win in Pittsburgh’
On the opening day of his third spring training as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, Derek Shelton discussed how nothing about his two-year tenure has been normal — and why it’s made him a better leader. Serving as the steady hand steering a sinking ship, Shelton has endured a roster reconstruction as...
Pirates lefty reliever Aaron Fletcher finds funky delivery suits his style, gives bullpen a new look
Aaron Fletcher will be the first to tell you he’s funky. The left-handed reliever has a low-quarters delivery and relies more on movement than overpowering pitches. Fletcher didn’t share that he throws sidearm when he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in spring training after being claimed off waivers from the Seattle...
Phillies pound Pirates in Grapefruit League finale, as spring training injury toll mounts
The Pittsburgh Pirates limped out of spring training with a loss. The injuries hurt more than the outcome. With the two players vying for the starting job in left field, Anthony Alford and Greg Allen, both headed for the injured list, the Pirates relied upon the positional versatility of their...
Pirates make final cuts of spring training but don’t have a backup catcher on 28-man roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their final cuts of spring training, though there are likely more moves to come. The Pirates reassigned five players, including three catchers, to the minor leagues following a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in their Grapefruit League finale Tuesday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater,...
Previewing the Pirates: Creativity with pitching staff could lead bullpen to take on bigger role
The transformation of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff has involved such turnover the past two seasons that only four pitchers — two starters and two relievers — remain on the active roster. The Pirates are counting on JT Brubaker and Mitch Keller to serve as anchors for their rotation and...
Previewing the Pirates: With Bryan Reynolds at center of outfield, questions are in corners
Last year, the Pittsburgh Pirates started spring training with Bryan Reynolds locked into the lineup at left field and Gregory Polanco in right, so the question was who would win the starting job in center field. This year, it’s the opposite. Reynolds shifted to center field late last April after...
Diego Castillo makes Opening Day roster, then hits 6th homer as Pirates top Orioles
Diego Castillo attended his first MLB game at PNC Park last summer after he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates and assigned to the Double-A Altoona Curve. His next will be on Opening Day. The sensation of spring training, Castillo earned a spot on the Pirates roster for Thursday’s season...
Pirates OF Greg Allen leaves game with left hamstring discomfort in loss to Rays
The Pittsburgh Pirates already were down one outfielder when they played the Tampa Bay Rays in their spring training home finale, then lost another who was projected to be a starter. Left fielder Greg Allen, who hit a leadoff triple, was removed because of left hamstring discomfort after sliding in...
Pirates tab RHP JT Brubaker as Opening Day starter at St. Louis, their 7th in as many years
JT Brubaker will be the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, manager Derek Shelton announced Sunday during the AT&T SportsNet telecast. Brubaker is the seventh different pitcher to start the opener in as many years. The 28-year-old right-hander...
Pirates preview: Versatility valued from infield featuring several Gold Glove candidates
When Derek Shelton discusses the Pittsburgh Pirates infield, the only things set in stone is that Ke’Bryan Hayes will be playing third base and Roberto Perez will be behind the plate. The rest is written in pencil, with a big eraser at the ready. That has more to do with...
Michael Chavis snaps out of slump with homer as Pirates beat Red Sox
Michael Chavis doesn’t know which position he will play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, given that he has played games at first, second and third base and even right field since being acquired from Boston last July. So long as he is in the lineup, Chavis is happy. “My preference is...
For Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, staying healthy is key to winning Gold Glove
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ke’Bryan Hayes started spring training with the goal of being available to play every game this season, knowing a left hand/wrist injury was one of two things that stood in the way of the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman winning a Gold Glove as a rookie. The other,...
Despite spring statistics, Jose Quintana on track for starting job as Pirates tie Toronto
When the Toronto Blue Jays turned a pair of plays that glanced off the gloves of Pittsburgh Pirates infielders into a pair of runs, they counted against Jose Quintana’s spring training statistics. That didn’t faze the 33-year-old left-hander, who signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Pirates for the opportunity...
Ranking Reynolds: Pirates CF Bryan Reynolds earns MLB top 10 ranking, tops trade wish lists
BRADENTON, Fla. — When MLB Network ranked the top 10 center fielders in baseball, Bryan Reynolds was thrilled to see he was at No. 4 after playing the position for only one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds was ranked behind Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, George Springer...
Pirates trade with Arizona for infielder Josh VanMeter; designate outfielder Jared Oliva
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Josh VanMeter from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a minor league pitcher Thursday in a move that required the shuffling of their 40-man roster. VanMeter, 27, slashed .212/.297/.354 with 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 36 RBIs last season for Arizona. He spent two...
Amid reports of trade speculation, Bryan Reynolds homers as Pirates rally to tie Orioles
On a day that started with Bryan Reynolds being the subject of trade speculation, he provided a no-doubter. Reynolds drilled a Tyler Wells fastball 349 feet over the right-center field fence for his second home run of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who tied the Baltimore Orioles, 4-4, on...
By building a bond with pitching coaches, Anthony Banda found home in Pirates’ bullpen
BRADENTON, Fla. — The warm welcome by the Pittsburgh Pirates took Anthony Banda by surprise. He was no stranger to transactions, having been traded three times and purchased before being claimed off waivers, so he wasn’t sure what type of reception to expect. When Pirates players invited Banda to dinner,...
Diego Castillo homers twice for MLB-leading Pirates but Bryon Buxton’s slam lifts Twins
Spring training statistics are relatively meaningless, so the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t about to celebrate that they lead all major-league teams with 27 home runs through 12 Grapefruit League games. If that sounds improbable, consider Diego Castillo leads the Pirates in homers after hitting two in a 9-4 loss to the...
After watching Braves win World Series, Bryse Wilson eyes spot in Pirates’ starting rotation
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryse Wilson was only 22 when he started Game 4 of the 2020 NLCS, outdueling Clayton Kershaw as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a 3-1 series lead. So it was hard for Wilson to swallow that the Braves traded him to the...
Analysis: Pirates pass on star power to prioritize development of ‘unicorn’ prospect Oneil Cruz
That Oneil Cruz won’t be on the Opening Day roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates might have stunned a frustrated fanbase but shouldn’t come as a shock, given their history of treating prized prospects with kid gloves. When the Pirates optioned the 6-foot-7 shortstop, ranked their No. 1 prospect by Baseball...
Pirates option top prospect Oneil Cruz to Triple-A Indianapolis in latest round of spring cuts
Oneil Cruz won’t be on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster. The Pirates optioned the 6-foot-7 shortstop, ranked their top prospect by Baseball America, to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon. Cruz batted .333 (5 for 15) with a 1.066 OPS in five Grapefruit League games this spring, hitting two home...
