Pirates/MLB category, Page 43
Tim Benz: Gap between Pittsburgh sports fans and local team owners has never been so vast
I didn’t attend PiratesFest this weekend. I recently finished covering the Pittsburgh Steelers’ disastrous demise and the Penguins’ washout of a homestand. My Pittsburgh sports masochism knows at least some limitations. But, via TribLIVE’s Kevin Gorman, I did read about the ire directed toward owner Bob Nutting at the fan...
‘We have buy-in’: Pirates’ Paul Skenes aims to be catalyst in creating a championship cultureVideo
Before the arrival of Paul Skenes, the expectation around the Pittsburgh Pirates was that the players locked into long-term contracts would take on a leadership role in the locker room. After starting for the National League in the All-Star Game, winning NL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing third...
‘Where is Bob?’ Pirates fans voice frustrations about franchise direction under Bob Nutting
The Pittsburgh Pirates play a game of chance by offering fans the opportunity to Ask Pirates Management questions at PiratesFest, so team president Travis Williams knew that he would be facing a first-pitch fastball Saturday morning at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Williams responded to criticism about the Pirates not...
Pittsburgh baseball fans turn out for PiratesFest
As winter raged outside, warmer thoughts of spring were on the minds of baseball fans Saturday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center during the latest edition of PiratesFest. Autograph seekers were able to meet some of their favorite current — and past — Pittsburgh Pirates players, including Andrew McCutchen,...
Pirates acquire righty reliever Chase Shugart from Red Sox
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-handed relief pitcher Chase Shugart from the Red Sox on Friday. In exchange, the Pirates sent fellow righty Matt McShane to Boston. Shugart, 28, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Jan. 15. Last year, he made his MLB debut with Boston, appearing in...
Pirates acquire righty reliever Brett de Geus from Toronto
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-handed pitcher Brett de Geus from the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon in exchange for cash considerations. De Geus, 27, was designated for assignment by Toronto on Friday. A veteran of 60 MLB games, de Geus owns a 3-4 career record and 7.48 ERA over...
Pirates sign pair of shortstops ranked in top 20 to headline international class
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed a pair of shortstops from the Dominican Republic who are both ranked in Baseball America’s top 20 international prospects to seven-figure deals Wednesday. Headlining the Pirates’ international class is Johan De Los Santos, who signed for $2.25 million, and Darrell Morel, who signed for $1,778,600. The...
Reliever Hunter Stratton among 13 players with non-roster invites to Pirates spring training
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that 13 players have received non-roster invitations to their major league camp for spring training, including several relievers who have pitched out of their bullpen. Right-handers Isaac Mattson, Yohan Ramirez and Hunter Stratton will be among the familiar faces when pitchers and catchers report Feb....
Management Q&A, autograph sessions planned for PiratesFest 2025
PiratesFest is just around the corner. The annual event will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 18-19, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Admission is free and open to the public, although registration is required at pirates.com/piratesfest. Both 2025 regular-season and spring training game tickets will be available...
Pirates avoid arbitration with 4 players ahead of 2025 season but can’t come to terms with 2
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration with starting pitcher Bailey Falter, relievers David Bednar and Colin Holderman and catcher Joey Bart on Thursday by agreeing each to one-year contracts, according to a source. The Pirates did not come to a settlement with right-handed pitchers Johan Oviedo and Dennis Santana prior to...
Pirates sign pitcher Caleb Ferguson
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a versatile pitcher to the staff Wednesday, agreeing to one-year, $3 million deal with lefty Caleb Ferguson, according to a source. Ferguson, 28, has the potential to work in relief or join the starting rotation. He was 1-4 with a 4.64 ERA, 67 strikeouts and one...
Former Pirates All-Star pitcher Bob Veale, part of 1971 World Series champions, dies at 89
The famous story about Bob Veale, one Steve Blass loves to share when talking about his halcyon days with the Pittsburgh Pirates, involves the two-time All-Star left-handed pitcher’s glasses. At 6-foot-6, 212 pounds and armed with a ferocious fastball — the great Pirates announcer Bob Prince once said he could...
Pirates add righty reliever Elvis Alvarado to 40-man roster for bullpen depth
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado to their 40-man roster Tuesday, adding bullpen depth with a player signed to a split contract last month. Alvarado, 25, is a converted outfielder who has yet to make his major league debut. He throws a 98 mph four-seam fastball and a...
KHL player pulls a Rodolfo Castro and loses cellphone on ice mid-shift
I’m sure Pittsburgh baseball fans fondly remember that Pirates game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 when former infielder Rodolfo Castro’s cellphone popped out of his back pocket while he was sliding into third base. Well, a Russian hockey player just said, “Rodolfo, hold my beer.” Or, perhaps better said,...
MLBPA affiliate withdraws image lawsuit against Pirates’ parent company, SheetzVideo
An affiliate of the Major League Baseball Players Association withdrew its lawsuit against the parent company of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Sheetz Inc. that alleged unlicensed use of players’ names and images on social media. MLB Players Inc., a union business subsidiary, filed a complaint Aug. 14 in U.S. District...
First Call: Livvy Dunne posts photos with Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler in New Orleans in advance of vehicle attackVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was in New Orleans at the time of the New Year’s Eve vehicle attack. His girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, posted pictures in the hours before the tragedy. Also, the Penguins are on the road to face the reigning Stanley Cup champions. A former Penguin had a...
2024 in Pittsburgh professional sports: Revamped Steelers’ QB room, Pirates’ phenom pitcher among top storylines
The year began with the Pittsburgh Steelers losing their fifth consecutive playoff game, keeping alive a streak that dates to the 2016 postseason. It ended with the Steelers, while reeling from a three-game losing streak, assured of another trip to the playoffs and a chance to end the franchise’s longest...
‘It’s still there’: Franchise icon Andrew McCutchen re-signs with Pirates for 2025
Andrew McCutchen made no secret of his hope to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, so the franchise icon only had to put a finger on his pulse to check to see if he still had the desire. That was never in question as McCutchen made it clear he intends to...
Recovered from trade whirlwind, new Pirates 1B Spencer Horwitz excited for opportunity
Dec. 10 was shaping up to be a fairly routine offseason weekday for Spencer Horwitz, who had made plans with his girlfriend to go see “Gladiator II” in theaters. Then, news broke of Andres Gimenez’s trade from the Cleveland Guardians to the Toronto Blue Jays. Minutes later, Horwitz, who played...
Trey Cabbage released by Pirates in order to pursue opportunity to play in Japan
Trey Cabbage’s short stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates ended Tuesday when the outfielder/first baseman cleared unconditional release waivers and was released from their roster. Cabbage is pursuing an opportunity to play in Japan, where he is expected to sign with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Cabbage,...
Pirates acquire infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez from Red Sox
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez from the Boston Red Sox on Sunday morning in exchange for minor-league pitcher Joe Vogatsky. Valdez, 25, appeared in 76 games for the Red Sox last year, slashing .214/.270/.363 with six homers and 28 RBIs but was designated for assignment Dec. 11. In...
New Pirates bullpen coach Miguel Perez brings familiarity with organization’s pitchers
A surplus of familiar faces is set to greet Miguel Perez when he joins the Pittsburgh Pirates for spring training in a few months. Perez, whom the Pirates named big-league bullpen coach Friday afternoon, spent the past three seasons as skipper of the Indianapolis Indians. After overseeing the Pirates’ Triple-A...
Mark Madden: Pirates ownership will always choose profit over winning, even amid Paul Skenes’ window
The Pittsburgh Pirates have Paul Skenes, just 22, the NL Rookie of the Year and already MLB’s best pitcher. Yet it seems like a time of no hope. To date, the Pirates’ big offseason move is trading a solid starting pitcher in Luis Ortiz for Spencer Horwitz, a meh first...
Pirates add 5 players, lose 3 in minor league phase of Rule 5 Draft
With the eighth overall selection in this year’s Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates passed on making a pick. However, in the minor-league portion of the draft, the Pirates added five players: righty reliever Franck De La Rosa (Athletics), left-handed relievers Randy Labaut and Steve Hajjar (both from...
Pirates announce 2025 home game times, promotional schedule
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their 2025 promotional schedule and home game times Wednesday afternoon. The New York Yankees will be the Pirates’ first opponent at PNC Park, with the two clubs set for a 4:12 p.m. first pitch April 4, 2025, which will be the Pirates’ home opener. That marks...
