Pirates/MLB category, Page 125
Pirates tab RHP Mitch Keller to start Grapefruit League opener against Blue Jays
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller made it his goal to be the starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day in Cincinnati, and the right-hander will be on the mound for their spring training opener. Keller will start Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays when they open Grapefruit League...
Roberto Clemente book deemed ‘appropriate,’ returns to Fla. school district shelves
An illustrated children’s biography of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente is back on shelves in Florida’s Duval County Public Schools after being reviewed and approved for use in classrooms and libraries. The school district said in a news release that its certified reading specialists are in the process of reviewing...
Pirates No. 1 pick Termarr Johnson ‘not too worried’ about hamstring strain
BRADENTON, Fla. — Termarr Johnson is disappointed that his first major-league spring training was interrupted by an injury, but the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2022 first-round pick hopes for a quick recovery. Johnson was shut down for 10-14 days with a right hamstring strain, an injury that occurred when he was fielding...
Veteran RHP Vince Velasquez finds potential fit in middle of Pirates rotationVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Vince Velasquez was still feeling the adrenaline rush of facing hitters, pumped even more after filling the strike zone with his fastball and commanding his secondary pitches. The 30-year-old right-hander followed Mitch Keller on Monday and Rich Hill on Tuesday in throwing live batting practice at Honus...
Pirates No. 1 pick Termarr Johnson shut down from spring training with right hamstring strain
Termarr Johnson, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-round pick and one of their top prospects, has been shut down from spring training after straining his right hamstring. The 18-year-old second baseman was selected No. 4 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Atlanta’s Mays High School and signed to a $7...
PNC Park scoreboard doubles in size, amid Pirates’ ballpark improvements
Screens keep getting bigger and bigger these days, and PNC Park is joining the trend. The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Wednesday that installation has begun for a new left-field scoreboard. The massive, high-definition LED screen will be more than twice the area of the previous outfield screen. The new screen will...
Pirates RHP Roansy Contreras wants to add changeup to repertoire, stop-and-go seasons
Roansy Contreras worked on his changeup and curveball over the offseason in an effort to round out his repertoire with pitches that can play off his four-seam fastball and slider. The 23-year-old right-hander showed that he belongs in the major leagues last year by going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA...
‘They saved his life’: Daughter of man who collapsed at Pirate City thankful for team’s medical response
BRADENTON, Fla. — The daughter of a man who collapsed on the field at Pittsburgh Pirates spring training practice Tuesday morning credited the team’s medical and training staff for saving her father’s life. Ernie Withers, 68, of Bradenton, Fla., was shagging fly balls in the outfield when he went into...
Mitch Keller aims to be Pirates’ starter on Opening Day: ‘I always want to be the guy’
BRADENTON, Fla. — When Mitch Keller personally delivered season tickets to a Pittsburgh Pirates fan late last month, she expressed hope that he would be the starting pitcher for the home opener on April 7. Keller kindly corrected her by saying he really wanted to pitch March 30 in Cincinnati....
For teenager Termarr Johnson, veterans like Rich Hill, 42, are best teachers at Pirates camp
BRADENTON, Fla. — Rich Hill is the graybeard of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 42-year-old left-hander pitching for the 12th team in his 18-year major-league career. Monday’s first full-squad workout at Pirate City marked Hill’s 19th big-league spring training, an achievement he has learned to appreciate. “What matters the most to...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: With Bob Nutting present, Pirates ready for full-squad workouts
BRADENTON, Fla. — There was something different about the day before the first full-squad workout of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting with the black Jaguar parked prominently at Pirate City. It belonged not to one of their high-priced veterans but rather the man who spent $30 million in...
Ji-Man Choi: ‘No hard feelings’ for Pirates after being blocked for WBC, losing in arbitrationVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ji-Man Choi was traded, underwent surgery on his right elbow, was blocked from playing for Korea in the World Baseball Classic and lost his arbitration hearing. Safe to say, the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/designated hitter was ready to put a turbulent offseason behind him when he reported...
Oneil Cruz working hard to stay at shortstop for Pirates, remain baseball’s biggest oddityVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Even as Oneil Cruz attempts to overcome an oxymoron — as a 6-foot-7 shortstop — he can’t escape the hyperbole of being compared to a mythical creature with magical powers. Cruz is known as baseball’s unicorn because of his unique blend of size, speed and power after...
With game of catch, Andrew McCutchen, Ke’Bryan Hayes begin bond as Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a simple spring training game of catch but one that represented so much more for Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates. First and foremost, McCutchen finally felt back at home while wearing the black and gold colors at Pirate City for the first time in...
Pirates win arbitration hearing with 1B Ji-Man Choi, who will make $4.65M this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates won their arbitration hearing with first baseman Ji-Man Choi, who will be paid $4.65 million this season instead of the $5.4 million he requested. Acquired from Tampa Bay in a trade this past November, the 31-year-old has hit .239/.345/.429 with 61 home runs and 225 RBIs in...
Pirates GM: Door ‘will continue to be open’ for Bryan Reynolds on contract extension talks
DUNEDIN, Fla. — A day after Bryan Reynolds said he would be willing to waive his trade request if the Pittsburgh Pirates offer a contract extension that is a “fair deal for both sides,” general manager Ben Cherington responded by saying the door “will continue to be open.” At Grapefruit...
After shattering Statcast records as rookie, Pirates SS Oneil Cruz eyes exclusive clubs
BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz showed as a rookie that one swing can do enough damage to shatter Statcast records, so the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop shared some lofty goals for his first full year in the major leagues. After flashing his unique blend of power and speed by hitting 17...
In search to stay healthy, show more power, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes packs on muscleVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — After being bothered by back and hip pain, Ke’Bryan Hayes used his brains to add brawn. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman invested in a team of trainers in the offseason to focus on core stability and stay healthy. Hayes looked buff on the opening day of spring...
2023 Pirates spring training guide: Position breakdowns, prospects, analysis
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Bradenton, Florida, this week as pitchers and catchers reported last week for the start of spring training. The whole team reported on Monday. TribLIVE sports writer Kevin Gorman will be covering the team throughout the spring. Previewing the Pirates: Starting pitchers Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker...
Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds opens up on his trade request: ‘I want a fair deal for both sides’Video
BRADENTON, Fla. — On the opening day of spring training, Bryan Reynolds stood in front of his locker and firm in his stance said he wants to be traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates, unless they are willing to offer a long-term contract that represents a “fair deal for both sides.”...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Watch for these prospects as Pirates spring training starts
When Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., the 67-man camp will include five prospects who aren’t likely to make the Opening Day roster but could finish the season at PNC Park. Here’s a look at those prospects: Endy Rodriguez The...
Pirates by Position: Around the horn as the Bucs get ready for spring training
The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Bradenton, Florida, this week as pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday. The whole team reports on Monday. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the players the Pirates have and what we can expect. Starting pitchers Mitch Keller expected to anchor starting rotation that added 2 veterans...
Pirates by Position: David Bednar expected to lead bullpen bolstered by offseason additions
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen, Derek Shelton won’t divulge defined roles. The Pirates manager has refused to call David Bednar the team’s closer, despite leading their relievers in saves (19) and strikeouts (69) and being selected an All-Star last season. “No, not really,” Shelton said of the...
Pirates by Position: Mitch Keller expected to anchor starting rotation that added 2 veterans
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been touting Mitch Keller as having top-of-the-rotation stuff since he was their top pitching prospect, but the right-hander struggled to show it in his first three major-league seasons. Keller finally gave a glimpse last season, when he led the Pirates in starts (29) and innings pitched...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Most pressing questions for Pirates entering spring training
Coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons for the first time since the 1950s, the Pittsburgh Pirates underwent a roster overhaul and spent $30 million on veterans in free agency. The turnover is dramatic, with only seven players remaining from the 26-man Opening Day roster from last season: closer David Bednar, right-handed...
