Pirates/MLB category, Page 198

For as much as Derek Shelton detests any discussion midway through spring training of who will be the closer, it’s because that decision is on the backburner for the Pittsburgh Pirates manager. “When you tell me who’s in our bullpen I’ll have that answer for you because I have no...

In hopes of opening up more seating at PNC Park for fans after Gov. Tom Wolf eased covid-19 restrictions at venues, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they are delaying their general public ticket sale planned for Wednesday. The Pirates had planned to sell all remaining tickets for the first 12...

Kevin Newman has been vocal about trying to reclaim the starting job at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he’s letting his bat do most of the talking. Newman continued his hot streak at the plate this spring by going 3-for-4, scoring a run and driving in another as the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first cuts of spring training, optioning five players and reassigning 10 others to minor league camp. The most notable moves involve four of their top-five prospects, optioning infielder Oneil Cruz and reassigning their past two first-round picks, infielder Nick Gonzales and right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester....

Quinn Priester had many things running through his mind during his first Grapefruit League game Monday, from wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform to hearing the starting lineups announced to seeing fans in the stands at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. “There’s an added adrenaline and excitement with being in a...

Tyler Anderson was still in spring training mode, feeling his way through his delivery when Austin Hays and Freddy Galvis hit back-to-back home runs off the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander. That forced Anderson to switch into regular-season mode in an outing he believed was better than it looked on the scoresheet:...

Living the life of a starting pitcher, Trevor Cahill knows what it feels like to fall short of expectations and suffer through the next five days before you can do something about it. It can be a mental grind. But Cahill, 33, can be labeled a survivor in baseball terms,...

When he walks to the mound for a spring training game, Steven Brault fills his head with three purposes: • Renewing familiarity with hitters he hasn’t seen since last season. • Rebuilding his arm strength for the next six months. • Taking it on the chin, if necessary. The Pittsburgh...

Duane Underwood Jr. spent his first 8½ years as a professional with one organization. Joining the Pittsburgh Pirates was a whole lot of new — but not without some familiar faces. “I actually knew a few of the guys just from working out in offseason and just being around the...

Adam Frazier is eager to put a rare “off” season behind him. So far this spring, he appears well on his way. A three-hit outing during a 7-5 loss at the New York Yankees on Saturday bumped Frazier’s average up to .667 through four games after a delayed start to...

Right-hander Chase De Jong continued to make his case as a darkhorse candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching three shutout innings of a 2-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in Bradenton, Fla. A 27-year-old former second-round pick of the Blue Jays signed as a minor league free...

Buried in the final paragraph of a team release to officially announce the previously reported signing of veteran pitcher Trevor Cahill was some ominous-sounding news regarding the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen. Blake Cederlind was placed on the 60-day injured list because of a potentially serious injury to his...

Ke’Bryan Hayes, Mitch Keller and others who figure to be long-term pieces of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rebuild agreed to terms on contracts for the 2021 season, the organization announced Friday. Third baseman Hayes and starting pitcher Keller are among 30 pre-arbitration players who agreed to salaries at or near the...

When Derek Shelton self-assessed his rookie season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, his greatest regret was the moves he didn’t make. Shelton wishes his team had been more aggressive in not only stealing bases but also situational running like 3-2 counts and hit-and-runs. If the Pirates look different on the basepaths...

The Pittsburgh Pirates added a veteran to their pitching staff by signing right-hander Trevor Cahill to a one-year contract for $1.5 million, with another $1 million in incentives. The Pirates are his ninth team in 13 seasons. The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder was 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA and 31 strikeouts in...

When the calendar flips to March 12 on Friday, it represents an ominous one-year anniversary for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the day a global pandemic interrupted spring training and stopped the sports world for months. The previous night, the NBA stopped its season when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested...

A day after Jared Oliva and Brian Goodwin made their mark on the center field competition with home runs, Anthony Alford answered in a way that might have pushed him to the forefront. Alford hit a two-run homer in the second inning, made a spectacular catch in the third, then...

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that tickets will be made available on a month-to-month basis to start the season and delivered digitally. Starting Thursday, the Pirates will notify groups for an exclusive presale for full, half and partial season plans for the first dozen games over two homestands at PNC Park,...

Jared Oliva will be the first to admit he was uncomfortable at his first major league spring training last year, trying to absorb as much as he could from veterans without stepping on any toes. That was evident to Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who saw as much trepidation as...

Brian Goodwin could tell by playing the outfield that the wind was doing something different Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, calling it a difficult night for fly balls. The New York Yankees had built a five-run lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates by sending two of them over the...

When two of the three players fighting for the same starting job end up seeing Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, he expects their competitive spirit to play a role in their recovery. Tomczyk is counting on the relationships and trust he has built with shortstops Kevin Newman...

Pirates fans, at least you aren’t alone when it comes to your team’s place within the ecosystem of baseball economics. Along with how your team is operating within that world. Meet the Colorado Rockies. They decided to pay the St. Louis Cardinals to accept All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in...

When Derek Shelton ordained Jacob Stallings the starting catcher at the outset of spring training, it didn’t signal the end of the competition at one of the most pivotal positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, it was just the beginning of a battle for the three catchers vying to become...

It all came down to the final out. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one out away from a spring training no-hitter, thanks to a double play in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves. Right-handed reliever Nick Mears lost the no-hit bid when Phillip Ervin singled on a soft...

Most days, Derek Shelton is loathe to discuss lineups. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager used so many different batting orders last season — 57 in 60 games — that it became a running joke: As many varieties as Heinz. On Tuesday, however, Shelton was in a good mood and delved into...