Pirates/MLB category, Page 86
Pirates announce several staff changes, name Robby Hammock new manager in Altoona
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced several minor-league staff changes Monday, including new managers for three of the four full-season affiliates. Only manager Miguel Perez at Triple-A Indianapolis remains in his 2023 role. Robby Hammock, who spent last season managing at High-A Greensboro, is the new manager at Double-A Altoona. Hammock will...
Pirates add 21 prospects from 7 countries in international signing period
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Friday they have signed 21 prospects from seven countries in the international signing period, including a pair of players ranked in the top 50. The list features nine players from Dominican Republic, five from Venezuela, three from Panama and one each from Australia, the Bahamas, Curacao...
Paul Skenes highest ranked of 4 Pirates in Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list
Baseball America rated right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes its No. 9 prospect, and the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick is one of four Pittsburgh Pirates in its updated top 100 prospect rankings. Right-handed pitchers Bubba Chandler (59) and Jared Jones (74) and second baseman Termarr Johnson (77) also are ranked...
Pirates’ Connor Joe looks to build on offensive numbers while remaining versatile defensively
When the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed Connor Joe to a one-year deal Thursday, it was in recognition of both his offensive and defensive contributions over the course of 133 games played in 2023. The Pirates are now hopeful Joe can build upon both elements of his game. Joe, who will make...
Pirates sign a pair of top-32 prospects as international signing period opens
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed a pair of Dominican teenagers who are ranked in the top 32 international prospects by Baseball America and top 50 by MLB Pipeline when the MLB’s international signing period opened Monday. Brailyn Brazodan, an outfielder who turned 18 on Jan. 9, is the highest regarded prospect...
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...
