Pirates/MLB category, Page 126
Pirates pitcher David Bednar visits Bell Acres family for season ticket holders appreciationVideo
A Bell Acres family recently had a special guest stop by their home to thank them for being Pittsburgh Pirates season ticket holders. Pitcher David Bednar and the Pirate Parrot were welcomed by the Semonik family on Jan. 29. The team shared the experience on its official Twitter page with...
Tim Benz: Derek Shelton not worried about Bryan Reynolds’ trade request — nor should he be
As much hand-wringing as there is over the trade request of Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, it could prove to be somewhat of a benefit. For everybody involved. Well, for the short term, anyway. If Reynolds truly wants out of Pittsburgh, the most effective way to do that is to...
‘It’s like he never left’: Pirates fans thrilled to see Andrew McCutchen back at PNC Park
Ezera Lenk and his sister Annie had no idea Andrew McCutchen was even at PNC Park when they got in a line that snaked through the Gunner’s Lounge on the club level. So after an almost hour-long wait, they were thrilled to be among the final Pittsburgh Pirates fans to...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton calls signing Andrew McCutchen ‘a move we needed to make’
When Derek Shelton learned of the possibility that Andrew McCutchen could return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, his first thought was about how the 36-year-old veteran outfielder would fit with the young ballclub. As he considered it, Shelton saw only positives. “I thought it was a move we needed to make,”...
Termarr Johnson ranks highest among Pirates prospects in MLB Pipeline’s updated top 100
Termarr Johnson hasn’t played a full season in the minor leagues, but MLB Pipeline already ranks the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2022 first-round pick as the No. 1 second-base prospect and among its top 30 players overall. Ranked 26th, Johnson is the only Pirates player to crack the front half of MLB...
For Pirates, signing South Korean pitcher Jun-Seok Shim signifies global approach to scouting
After the Pittsburgh Pirates convinced Jun-Seok Shim to withdraw from the KBO draft, where he was projected to be a top-five pick, and sign for a $750,000 bonus, they gave their top-ranked international signing the grand tour of PNC Park on Thursday befitting a first-round pick of the MLB Draft....
First Call: Another interview for Brian Flores; Steelers ‘unsung’ hero; Clint Hurdle on Bryan Reynolds
Thursday’s “First Call” has another job interview for Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Brian Flores. One Steeler is highlighted as an “unsung hero” in the NFL. We recap another busy night in the Metropolitan Division while the Penguins were idle. And former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle shares his thoughts on Bryan Reynolds....
Pirates sign South Korean pitching prospect Jun-Seok Shim
The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially signed Jun-Seok Shim and will introduce the 18-year-old South Korean pitching prospect Thursday at PNC Park. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound right-hander is ranked the No. 10 international prospect by MLB Pipeline and second among pitchers. “We are excited to add Jun-Seok to our organization and start...
Kevin Gorman: Explaining a ballot that gave a vote to Scott Rolen but not Carlos Beltran
When I became eligible to vote for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time two years ago, I made the decision to select the best players on the ballot. It came with a caveat: Cheaters won’t get a check mark in their first year of eligibility. That...
Tim Benz: Where Andrew McCutchen’s presence may best benefit the Pirates — if he’s willing to go there
When Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen made the comment, I figured it was simply the right thing to say. “I want to win,” McCutchen said during a press conference to announce his return to Pittsburgh after a five-year absence. “Specifically, I want to win here. I know what it feels...
‘That’s Andrew McCutchen’s number’: The Pirate who protected No. 22 until his return
When the Pittsburgh Pirates wanted to hype the return of Andrew McCutchen, their creative team asked clubhouse and equipment manager Scott Bonnett if he had any leftover jerseys. There would be no Catch-22 with Cutch’s 22. Bonnett only had to open his own locker. Hanging alongside an autographed Francisco Cervelli...
Plenty of playing time and at-bats on table for Andrew McCutchen in return to Pirates
If the last several years are any guide, Andrew McCutchen does not seem primed to defy the odds that say he will tail off at the end of his career. Sure, there are regular exceptions to that trend. And that’s not to say that McCutchen, 36, isn’t capable of making...
‘I want to win!’: Ready for a reunion, Andrew McCutchen saw something special in Pirates
Andrew McCutchen strutted into the news conference wearing a bright blue suit and an even bigger smile, stunned to see so many people awaiting an arrival for a reunion he always anticipated. Pittsburgh Pirates employees crowded the back of the PNC Park conference room and applauded McCutchen’s entrance on Friday...
To make room for Andrew McCutchen, Pirates designate OF Miguel Andujar for assignment
With a glut of outfielders and after signing Andrew McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million contract Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates designated Miguel Andujar for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Andujar batted .250 (9 for 36) with three doubles, a triple and nine RBIs in nine games for...
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates make reunion official: ‘We have a chance to come back’
The video had no words but spoke volumes. Pittsburgh Pirates equipment manager Scott Bonnett simply walked to an empty locker stall and hung a home white jersey, then walked away to reveal Andrew McCutchen’s old No. 22. McCutchen is officially back where he began. The Pirates formally announced Friday the...
Pirates ranked 28th overall, last in NL in payroll last season, per league figures
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the lowest payroll in the National League and third-lowest in baseball in 2022, at $61,196,070, according to MLB figures obtained by the Associated Press. The Pirates ranked 28th overall, directly behind the Cleveland Guardians ($69,080,715) and ahead of only the Baltimore Orioles ($60,377,739) and Oakland Athletics...
Mark Madden: Pirates should make pitch for Trevor Bauer, despite PR nightmare
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at any number of disadvantages when pursuing free agents, not least that good players have other choices and all those options are better. But right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer is a good player who might not have alternatives. Bauer, 32, is at loose ends after being cut...
Ex-Pirates slugger Frank Thomas, who starred for hometown team in 1950s, dies at 93
Frank Thomas got to live a childhood dream as a Pittsburgh native who became a three-time All-Star slugger for the Pirates in the 1950s before being traded for a trio of players who helped win the 1960 World Series. One of the Pirates’ most popular players, Thomas hit 163 home...
Pirates intrigued by international free agent class, led by South Korea pitcher Jun-Seok Shim
The Pittsburgh Pirates were so intrigued by reports on South Korean pitcher Jun-Seok Shim, an 18-year-old right-hander whose fastball has touched triple digits, that international scouting director Junior Vizcaino flew to Seoul to see Shim pitch in person. The Pirates made Shim the headliner of their international free agent class...
Tim Benz: Andrew McCutchen’s return to Pirates is nice — let’s just leave it at that
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ re-signing of former star outfielder Andrew McCutchen is … nice. Looking for a hotter take than that? I don’t think there is one to be had. If McCutchen wants a career victory lap in the city where it all started, that’s nice. If the organization is willing...
Pirates sign top-10 South Korean RHP prospect, 21 other internationals
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Sunday an international free agent class that features a top-10 prospect in South Korean right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim and top-30 prospect in Dominican outfielder Raymond Mola. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Shim, 18, throws a fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and tops out at 100 and a...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Pirates need to capitalize after signing Andrew McCutchen
Now that Andrew McCutchen is again a Pirate, a big switch must be made: McCutchen should change his uniform number from 22, the digits he wore during his prior Pittsburgh tenure. It doesn’t matter what number McCutchen uses. It just has to be different. There’s no conflict: No. 22 has...
Analysis: Applauding Andrew McCutchen’s reunion with Pirates
Now that the happy homecoming side of Andrew McCutchen agreeing to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates has commenced, there is talk that it could provide the perfect ending. The 36-year-old outfielder has a golden opportunity to end his major-league career with the team that drafted him and the city where...
Back ‘where it all began’: To delight of fans, Pirates sign star outfielder Andrew McCutchen
The Pittsburgh Pirates are bringing back Andrew McCutchen, reuniting with their most popular player of the PNC Park era to the delight of a fan base that has voiced its frustration since he was traded. McCutchen, 36, agreed Friday to a one-year, $5 million contract, pending physical, that will return...
Pirates avoid arbitration with 4 pitchers but don’t reach settlement with Ji-Man Choi
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration with four right-handed pitchers Friday but couldn’t come to a settlement with newly acquired first baseman/designated hitter Ji-Man Choi. The Pirates agreed to settlements with starters JT Brubaker and Mitch Keller and relievers Robert Stephenson and Duane Underwood Jr., announcing the signing of all four...
