Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB category, Page 169
Competition for starting job at 2B heats up as Pirates narrow candidates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates have been searching for a second baseman since trading All-Star Adam Frazier last July, and a crowded competition is now down to a handful of candidates at spring training. With Nick Gonzales, Ji-hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano reassigned to minor-league camp, the Pirates can...
Hoy Park homers in 1st Grapefruit League swing as Pirates tie Tigers
LAKELAND, Fla. — Hoy Park’s arrival at spring training was delayed not so much by his case of covid-19 in South Korea but a second positive test upon his arrival to Pittsburgh Pirates spring training. In his first Grapefruit League game, Park was right on time. Park drove an Eduardo...
Pirates right-handers Max Kranick, Miguel Yajure slowed by injuries in spring training
As the Pittsburgh Pirates attempt to build a starting rotation, the progress of a pair of right-handed pitchers who made spot starts last season has been slowed by injuries that could jeopardize their Opening Day status. Neither Miguel Yajure (lumbar spine injury) nor Max Kranick (right forearm tightness) has appeared...
Bryan Reynolds, Pirates headed to arbitration as team never offered long-term extension
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryan Reynolds and the Pittsburgh Pirates are headed to an arbitration hearing, and the All-Star center fielder said the club never offered a long-term extension to avoid the process. Reynolds reportedly asked for $4.9 million while the Pirates countered with an offer of $4.25 million, and they...
‘He’s a 1st-rounder for a reason’: Top pick Henry Davis makes strong impression on Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates placed Henry Davis in a locker in the middle of their clubhouse at LECOM Park, yet the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft was hardly the center of attention. A nonroster invitee, the former University of Louisville catcher knew his time...
After a season that tested his toughness, Pirates pitcher JT Brubaker gaining confidence
BRADENTON, Fla. — JT Brubaker came out slinging his slider against the Baltimore Orioles, gaining such confidence in the pitch that Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Roberto Perez called it three times in a row. Brubaker threw his slider on seven of his 25 pitches Tuesday, including a swinging strikeout by Jacob...
Oh, baby: Pirates OF Ben Gamel homers off Orioles, hits the road for birth of his 1st child
BRADENTON, Fla. — Hey there, Delilah. Before the birth of his first child — a daughter, Delilah Marie — Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel provided the perfect present. As Pirates bench coach Don Kelly shared a shoutout to Lauren Gamel during the AT&T SportsNet broadcast that her husband was leaving...
Pirates reliever Chris Stratton avoids arbitration by signing 1-year, $2.7 million deal
BRADENTON, Fla. — Chris Stratton avoided arbitration with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the right-handed reliever more than doubled his salary by agreeing to a one-year, $2.7 million contract for the 2022 season. All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds is the Pirates’ only other arbitration-eligible player this season. After making $601,000 last...
OF Travis Swaggerty optioned, 3 other former 1st-rounders reassigned as Pirates make cuts
BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates made their first roster moves of spring training, it provided insight into why one of their former first-round draft picks didn’t play in any Grapefruit League games this spring. Outfielder Travis Swaggerty, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, was...
Zach Thompson wins 1st start, Oneil Cruz crushes another homer as Pirates beat RaysVideo
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Zach Thompson is an imposing presence on the mound, one of the few who can see eye to eye with Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz. Even Thompson couldn’t believe his eyes. Thompson watched from the dugout in awe in the second...
Pirates counting on top pitching prospect Roansy Contreras to learn from Jose Quintana
Roansy Contreras raised eyebrows when his first pitch was clocked at 99.4 mph, though it wasn’t because the Pittsburgh Pirates are unaware the 22-year-old right-hander is capable of touching triple digits. That he was throwing heat in his first spring training appearance is a sign that Contreras, their top pitching...
Dillon Peters, Mason Martin happy with changeups, as Blue Jays pound Pirates
DUNEDIN, Fla. – Dillon Peters was a late addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation last season after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations in mid-July. After the Pirates signed fellow lefty Jose Quintana to a free-agent deal, Peters seemed like a forgotten man in the...
Pirates top prospect Oneil Cruz wants to get back to majors and stay there
Oneil Cruz attempted to explain how he turned an ankles-high pitch into a 413-foot home run Saturday, crediting everything from his work in the batting cage to keeping an eye on the ball to barreling it. Then the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect flashed a smile and offered the only explanation...
Pirates’ Mitch Keller feels ‘fine’ after taking comebacker to thigh
BRADENTON, Fla. — A day after being hit in the left thigh by a comebacker in his first spring training start, Mitch Keller was walking around the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse without any worries that it would disrupt his daily routine. “No, I don’t think so,” Keller said Sunday morning at...
Mitch Keller leaves 1st spring start with left thigh bruise; Pirates hit 4 homers to top Tigers
BRADENTON, Fla. — After an offseason when Mitch Keller’s four-seam fastball touched triple digits in a bullpen session, there was anticipation he could top 100 mph in his first start of spring training. Instead, Keller was on the receiving end of one. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was removed with two...
Mitch Keller leaves game against Detroit Tigers after taking comebacker off right leg
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller’s first start of spring training ended early, as the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander left in the top of the second inning after a comebacker ricocheted off his left leg. After Detroit Tigers left fielder Daz Cameron lined a shot off Keller’s thigh with two outs in...
After up-and-down seasons, Cole Tucker searching for stability in swing, role with Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Cole Tucker didn’t want to count on what clicked for him last season to carry over. So the Pittsburgh Pirates switch-hitting shortstop sought professional advice from former switch-hitting All-Star, former MLB hitting coach Chili Davis. It started after a conversation with Pirates manager Derek Shelton and bench...
Greg Allen homers off his ex-team as Pirates beat Yankees in Grapefruit League opener
BRADENTON, Fla. — Greg Allen sidestepped the chance to call it a revenge game but couldn’t suppress a smile about hitting a home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates against his former team. The outfielder hit a two-run blast off Braden Brito in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a...
Now that Mitch Keller found his fastball velocity, he wants to prove he can become Pirates’ ace
BRADENTON, Fla. — The velocity drop on his four-seam fastball was as much a mystery to Mitch Keller as it was to anyone watching the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander struggle to live up to lofty expectations. Keller had touched triple digits in the minors and averaged 95.4 mph on his heater...
Pirates RHP Wil Crowe will start spring training opener Friday against Yankees
Wil Crowe will be on the mound Friday when the Pittsburgh Pirates open Grapefruit League play against the New York Yankees at 1:05 p.m. at LECOM Park. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said right-handers Crowe, Jerad Eickhoff and Kyle Nicolas will pitch early for the Pirates, with others in relief, and...
After struggling at plate, Pirates’ Kevin Newman reconstructs stance, swing
BRADENTON, Fla. — After a sizzling spring led to a fizzling five months where he hovered just above the Mendoza Line, Kevin Newman knew he needed to change something about his swing. He opted for a complete reconstruction. The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop set a spring training record by hitting .606...
Pirates’ Nick Gonzales takes MLB ranking as top 2B in minors in stride
Nick Gonzales admits he was “definitely nervous” about participating in his first spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, given the expectations attached to being their 2020 first-round pick. Now, he is wearing a new label. MLB Pipeline ranked Gonzales the No. 1 second baseman in the minor leagues,...
Pirates claim RHP Adonis Medina off waivers from Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates added an arm to their competition for the starting rotation by claiming right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina off waivers Wednesday from the Philadelphia Phillies. Medina, 25, was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Phillies, including two starts,...
MLB reschedules Pirates games against Cardinals, Reds postponed by lockout
Instead of opening the season against the Cardinals, as originally scheduled March 31-April 3, the Pittsburgh Pirates will play host to their NL Central rivals in the final week of the season. The Pittsburgh Pirates released their updated regular-season schedule Wednesday, making up games against the St. Louis Cardinals and...
‘I want to win here’: Pirates All-Star CF Bryan Reynolds ready to become club cornerstone
Bryan Reynolds has only three major-league seasons under his belt, so he hardly can believe he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Reynolds has become one of...
