Pirates/MLB category, Page 85
Having earned the trust of Derek Shelton, Pirates’ Ryan Borucki ready to take on larger bullpen roleVideo
Ryan Borucki’s career with the Pittsburgh Pirates began inauspiciously. The left-handed reliever signed a minor-league contract in early May and made his debut with the club June 19. That first outing did not go particularly well, as Borucki was charged with a pair of runs against the Cubs. Several of...
Pirates have 4 candidates preparing for position battle to earn starting job at second base
As the Pittsburgh Pirates approach spring training, one of the most interesting battles for a starting job could involve a major international signing, a former first-round pick, the centerpiece of a trade for an All-Star and their top hitter among rookies last season. Ji Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero...
Pirates avoid arbitration with 4 more players, including All-Stars David Bednar, Mitch Keller
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration by agreeing Thursday to one-year contracts with four players, including a pair of All-Star pitchers, a source confirmed to TribLive. Two-time All-Star closer David Bednar earned the biggest raise, going from a $745,000 salary last year to $4.51 million to this season. The Mars alum...
Pirates extend non-roster invitations to 8 players for major league spring training camp
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday that they have extended non-roster invitations to the following eight players for major league spring training camp: • Sergio Alcantara: An infielder who made his MLB debut with Detroit in 2020 — homering off Minnesota Twins left-hander Rich Hill in his first at-bat — the...
JT Brubaker readies for return to Pirates, with Chad Kuhl’s words of advice on his mind
After nine months of recovery and rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, JT Brubaker is finally getting the mobility to work on rediscovering his pitching motion. At this point in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander says he would typically be spinning the ball on flat ground and preparing to throw...
Pirates avoid arbitration with RHP JT Brubaker, who signs 1-year deal for $2.725 million
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration with right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year contract for $2.725 million, a source confirmed to TribLive. Brubaker will make the same salary as he did last year, which he missed after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was projected to make...
After sudden position switch, Pirates CF Jack Suwinski spending offseason in preparation
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made major position changes to the outfield last spring, it was with the intention to accommodate two of the most important players on the team. With Andrew McCutchen expected to start in right field and Bryan Reynolds expressing a desire to return to left, Jack Suwinski...
After anchoring Pirates’ starting rotation, Mitch Keller concentrates on contract, workload
Mitch Keller spent his first five seasons in the major leagues working to fulfill his potential as a staff ace for the Pittsburgh Pirates, only to realize that he was the last man standing among their starting pitchers. After posting career highs with 13 wins in 194 1/3 innings over...
Gold Glove in hand, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes wants to show same consistency at plate
Now that Ke’Bryan Hayes finally has a Gold Glove, the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman can turn his attention to other hardware. With the way Hayes finished last season, a Platinum Glove is a strong possibility and perhaps even a Silver Slugger is in his future. Hayes, however, would prefer jewelry....
With a chance to catch for Pirates, Henry Davis seeks to be Swiss Army knife with a sharp edge
Henry Davis is a man of few words, except when it comes to catching. Ask about his natural position, and the 2021 No. 1 overall pick is willing to go deep into detail. After spending only two innings behind the plate for the Pittsburgh Pirates this past summer, Davis has...
Fans celebrate the return of PiratesFest
A sea of black and gold flooded the third floor of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon as fans attended the annual PiratesFest. The event was last held in 2019 at PNC Park. The announcement of its long-awaited return caused quite the excitement and...
Fans fire away at management about payroll, playoff hopes in Q&A session at PiratesFest
With Pittsburgh Pirates fans packing the third-floor ballroom of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the “Ask Pirates Management” Q&A session addressed the most repeated submitted question first. No surprise, it was pointed at payroll: What will it take, in terms of a financial commitment, to make the Pirates a...
Healthy Oneil Cruz eager for spring training as Pirates teammates welcome his return
Losing Oneil Cruz at such an early juncture of the 2023 campaign was a major hurdle the Pittsburgh Pirates had to clear. Cruz’s ankle fracture, suffered on a slide into home plate against the White Sox on April 9, ended up sidelining him after just nine games. After Cruz underwent...
‘That should be the goal’: Bryan Reynolds, Pirates believe they have playoff potential
After requesting a trade before signing a franchise-record contract last April, Bryan Reynolds was relieved to have a drama-free offseason. That didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder from making a prediction that should draw headlines for being so bold. Reynolds believes the Pirates (76-86), who followed back-to-back 100-loss seasons by...
Return of PiratesFest to feature All-Star players, alums
The return of PiratesFest will feature All-Star players Andrew McCutchen, David Bednar, Mitch Keller and Bryan Reynolds and Gold Glove winner Ke’Bryan Hayes, as well as Pirates alums Andy Van Slyke, Jason Grilli, Neil Walker and Bob Walk. The event, which will be held Saturday at the David L. Lawrence...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Pittsburgh sports had no ‘best of 2023’
This is the time for cliched, year-in-review “best of 2023” lists. But Pittsburgh sports had no “best of 2023.” All the major sports teams were rotten. All seem pointed in the wrong direction. The Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and Pitt football were a combined 20 games under .500 in 2023. The...
2023 in Pittsburgh professional sports: Kenny Pickett’s highs, lows an ongoing storyline for Steelers
The first day of the calendar year brought a sense of anticipation and hope for a fruitful future for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The last day of 2023? It shows just how complicated and unsettled the outlook for the organization really is. When Kenny Pickett directed an 80-yard winning drive in...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates GM Ben Cherington still searching for starting pitching
As Ben Cherington was celebrating the re-signing of Andrew McCutchen, the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager addressed an offseason that has been slow to address the team’s glaring needs. The Pirates have traded for left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales and outfielder Edward Olivares and signed free agents in designated hitter McCutchen,...
‘I feel like this is my final stop’: Andrew McCutchen says he hopes to retire as a Pirate
Andrew McCutchen is vocal about his desire to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so the decision to return for another season proved “fairly quick” and “pretty painless” for the five-time All-Star and fan favorite. After McCutchen’s one-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates was announced Wednesday morning, the 37-year-old designated...
Pirates re-sign fan favorite Andrew McCutchen to 1-year, $5M dealVideo
Cutch is coming back for another season. The Pittsburgh Pirates and fan favorite Andrew McCutchen agreed to a one-year contract Tuesday to bring the free-agent designated hitter/outfielder back on another one-year, $5 million contract to play his 16th major-league season, a source confirmed to TribLive. The Pirates haven’t announced the...
‘I’m excited to be on the Pittsburgh end now’: Ex-rival 1B Rowdy Tellez adds power to PiratesVideo
Rowdy Tellez found it frustrating to look at the out-of-town scoreboard last spring and see that the Pittsburgh Pirates were winning enough to keep pace with the Milwaukee Brewers until mid-June. The back-and-forth battle for first place in the NL Central between the rival small-market teams gave Tellez a sense...
Pirates add to starting rotation by signing LHP Martin Perez to 1-year, $8 million contract
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed their most pressing need by signing a free-agent starting pitcher, agreeing Monday to a one-year deal worth $8 million with left-hander Martin Perez, a source confirmed to TribLive. Perez, 32, went 10-4 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.41 WHIP, 93 strikeouts and 49 walks in 141...
Pirates add more OF depth, acquire Edward Olivares from Royals
The Pittsburgh Pirates added to their outfield depth by acquiring Edward Olivares on Friday from the Kansas City Royals for minor league outfielder Deivis Nadal, per a report by Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The right-handed hitting Olivares batted .263/.317/.452 with 23 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs...
Pirates A to Z: Acquired at trade deadline, LHP Jackson Wolf a top-10 prospect with potential
During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster. Player: Jackson Wolf Position: Pitcher Throws: Left Age: 24 Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 205 pounds 2023 MLB statistics: Went 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in five innings over one...
Pirates add to outfield depth by acquiring Billy McKinney from Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates added to their outfield depth by acquiring Billy McKinney from the New York Yankees on Thursday in exchange for international signing bonus pool considerations. The move doesn’t affect the 40-man roster. A left-handed hitter, McKinney batted .227/.320/.406 with three doubles, a triple, six home runs and 14...
