Kevin Gorman stories, Page 25

For all of the focus on their shortcomings at the start of spring training, the Pittsburgh Pirates are out to prove something to their naysayers: They are going to surprise people this season. After back-to-back 100-loss campaigns, the Pirates stunned the baseball world by starting 2023 with the best record...

After a season of meeting milestones — his 2,000th hit, 1,000th walk and 400th double — Andrew McCutchen came up one short of joining the 300-home run club last year. The Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter, a five-time All Star, four-time Silver Slugger and 2013 NL MVP, is sitting at 299...

For as much as Derek Shelton loves to play coy about his Opening Day lineup, the Pittsburgh Pirates were only a week into spring training when the manager revealed Mitch Keller would be the starting pitcher. Of course, that news was revealed on the heels of Keller agreeing to a...

The Pittsburgh Pirates had the most efficient closer in baseball last season, as two-time All-Star David Bednar led the majors by converting 93% of his save opportunities. What stood out about their bullpen, however, was how many relievers thrived in high-leverage situations: Sinkerballer Colin Holderman ranked ninth in MLB in...

The Pittsburgh Pirates played a game of musical chairs in their outfield in spring training, trying multiple players in center field in an effort to improve their defense before settling on one with a Gold Glove. The late-spring signing of Michael A. Taylor cemented center field but caused more movement,...

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has found that spring training can have bookends to the conversations he has at its start and before making Opening Day roster decisions. Cherington didn’t know Jake Lamb personally before this spring, but the 33-year-old corner infielder/outfielder made quite the impression on the Pirates,...

That the sensation of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates was a right-handed pitcher they drafted and developed was no surprise. But Jared Jones kept checking boxes to earn a spot in the starting rotation. That the 22-year-old Jones, a 2020 second-round pick, made the club and 2023 No. 1...

Martin Perez was warming up in the bullpen when he heard familiar voices calling for him. It was the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander’s daughter and son, who were present for his final start of spring training. Having his family there for support was a sign Perez is ready for the start...

Jared Triolo was wearing a microphone for SportsNet Pittsburgh on Saturday when asked if it was sinking in that he had earned the starting job at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That revelation came by way of deduction, with Ji Hwan Bae out since March 5 with a left...

Jared Jones pitched on a day he wasn’t supposed to, but the 22-year-old right-hander might have solidified a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation in the process. Jones flashed a four-seam fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and touched triple digits and mixed it with a slider to strike out...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates told Henry Davis to concentrate on catching this offseason so he could report to spring training at his natural position, it was all the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick needed to hear. Davis is nothing if not renowned for his work ethic, and Pirates teammates...

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and will be out 14-16 months, per a report by MLB.com. The 27-year-old Moreta went 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with one save in 58 innings over...

With 32 starts last season, Johan Oviedo was a workhorse for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so the right-hander treated the soreness in his right arm as an afterthought in hopes that it would be resolved by rest. “I kept telling myself it was probably something minor, and after a week, it’s...

The Toronto Blue Jays teed off on left-hander Bailey Falter for a pair of home runs in a three-run first inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates answered with two of their own. But the Pirates were focused less on rallying for a comeback than on who was coming back. The game...

When Creighton coach Greg McDermott chose to exploit its considerable height advantage over Akron by planting 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner in the paint, he knew the Zips could counter by stretching the floor and keeping up the frenetic pace. What Creighton couldn’t have counted on was Akron star Enrique Freeman’s...

If returning to the same team for a second consecutive spring training provided any comfort for Connor Joe, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman hasn’t altered his approach. After constantly bouncing around baseball, Joe avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $2.125 million contract, which amounted to a $1.39 million raise. What...

Giancarlo Stanton smashed three home runs, including a grand slam, that totaled 1,334 feet in distance in a stunning spring training display of ferocity and velocity by the New York Yankees slugger. Stanton went 3 for 3 with eight RBIs as the Yankees rolled to a 12-0 win over the...

While advocating for the NCAA Tournament to avoid expansion, Oakland coach Greg Kampe dropped a dime by noting Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of the real-life inspiration for “Hoosiers,” the ultimate underdog and quintessential basketball movie. For the love of Fang Mitchell and Coppin State, everyone loves a Cinderella story...

Brent Honeywell Jr. doesn’t want to be known for one pitch, especially considering his signature is a screwball. Pardon the 28-year-old right-handed reliever for being downright defensive about his pitch repertoire. Statcast shows that he throws six pitches — Honeywell claims he has eight in his arsenal — and he...

At the outset of spring training, Rowdy Tellez was more worried about finding the timing of his swing than his production at the plate. Just when his production at the plate started to become worrisome, Tellez took one swing that showed his potential for production. After Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jack...

The Pittsburgh Pirates were preemptive with Paul Skenes, informing the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick that he wasn’t going to make the Opening Day roster and would start the season in the minor leagues. So their roster move to reassign the right-hander to minor league camp Sunday came as...

The Pirates got a solid start from left-handed pitcher Josh Fleming, but it was their bats that rallied them to victory. Nick Gonzales, Matt Gorski and Shawn Ross hit home runs to boost the Pirates to an 8-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon in a Grapefruit...

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Saturday the signing of center fielder Michael A. Taylor to a one-year contract, which a source told TribLive will pay Taylor $4 million this season. Taylor, 32, is a 10-year major league veteran who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019 and an...

Just when the roster looked like it was starting to take shape for the Pittsburgh Pirates, they agreed to one-year contracts Friday with a pair of players who could change the makeup of the starting lineup. By adding Michael A. Taylor, the Pirates now have a bona fide center fielder...