Pirates/MLB category, Page 198
Kevin Newman finishes spring training with .606 batting average as Pirates tie Twins
Kevin Newman didn’t know which was better, finishing with the best batting average in spring training history or never striking out in 39 plate appearances over 13 Grapefruit League games. The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop didn’t want to choose. “I’ll take both of them, honestly,” said Newman, who batted an astronomical...
Days after opting out, Todd Frazier returns to Pirates on a minor league contract
Todd Frazier was out, but the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled him back in. Three days after opting out of his contract after being told he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster, the 10-year veteran corner infielder signed a minor league contract to return to the Pirates. Frazier batted .250 (7 for...
Not so ‘Great Expectations’: Pirates balancing development process and final result as Opening Day nears
Back on March 10, BetOnline.ag posted odds on which Major League manager would get fired first. Pirates manager Derek Shelton was fifth on the list at 9/1. Shelton? Fired as manager of the Pirates? Don’t you have to fail to deserve to be fired from a job? And if you...
First Call: Sam Darnold trade idea tied to Steelers; Ex-Pirates bust tries a comeback; Sabres lose 18th in a row to Philly
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a trade idea for the Steelers to consider. It involves a young quarterback. The Buffalo Sabres found another creative way to lose. Some interesting dirt about the New England Patriots and Jimmy Garoppolo. And an infamous name from the Pirates’ past is trying to make a...
Pirates’ outfield had potential, but can starters fulfill their promise?
There was a time the Pittsburgh Pirates could boast a trio of starting outfielders almost any team in the majors would covet. But with the start of the 2021 season days away, Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte are on the rosters of National League East clubs. The Pirates only wish...
Pirates outfield breakdown: Last chances for Gregory Polanco, Anthony Alford
Breakout candidate Anthony Alford A former SEC football player and once a top prospect of the Blue Jays, Alford is still only 26 and for the first time figures to get an extensive look as an everyday player. The talent and many of the tools are there for Alford to...
Pirates put versatility of Erik Gonzalez, Phillip Evans on display in loss to Twins in home finale
The Pittsburgh Pirates showed how much they value the versatility of Phillip Evans and Erik Gonzalez by keeping them on the 26-man Opening Day roster. Both put theirs on display by playing out of their natural positions Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Twins. Evans started in right field then moved...
Pirates name Chad Kuhl Opening Day starter, Kevin Newman wins SS job as roster shapes up
With the end of spring training in sight, the Pittsburgh Pirates are close to setting a starting lineup. One Opening Day certainty is Chad Kuhl will be on the mound at the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Wrigley Field. Pirates manager Derek Shelton named Kuhl the Opening Day starter, capping...
Pirates to use PNC Park, Heinz Field, Pitt’s Charles L. Cost Field as alternate training sites
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that they will use three local venues as their alternate site facilities in April, as MLB has pushed back the start of the minor league season until May. The Pirates will use a locker room at Heinz Field to serve as their home clubhouse and...
Anthony Alford wins center field competition, as Pirates reassign Brian Goodwin in camp cuts
The center field competition has come to a close for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Anthony Alford appears to be the winner after they reassigned veteran Brian Goodwin on Monday morning. The Pirates also optioned right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb and reassigned infielder Wilmer Difo and right-handed knuckleballer Steven Wright to trim...
Pirates infield breakdown: Shortstop loaded with prospects
Breakout candidate: Ke’Bryan Hayes You might be wondering: Didn’t Hayes break out last season? After all, he slashed .376/.442/.682 and established himself as a wizard with the glove at third base. But he played in only 24 games, with 95 plate appearances. The expectations on Hayes (in his case, they...
Pirates beat writer Kevin Gorman’s 2021 MLB awards, playoff predictions
NL MVP Juan Soto, Nationals The 22-year-old slugger followed a 34-homer, 110-RBI season in 2019 by blossoming into baseball’s most feared hitter, batting .351/.490/.695 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in 47 games last year. The additions of Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber won’t allow teams to...
In final spring appearance, Pirates’ Mitch Keller finally has scoreless outing
In his final appearance of spring training, Mitch Keller finally produced a scoreless outing — even if an old bugaboo reared its head to haunt him. Keller walked four of the 14 batters he faced but did not allow an extra-base hit and no Baltimore Orioles scored over the first...
Jeremy Bleich is Pirates’ analytics guru and part-time Olympian
A typical day for Pittsburgh Pirates staffer Jeremy Bleich often includes situations that could seem as if they are from a “This is SportsCenter” ad or an office-supply store commercial. “(Players) will walk in, and I’m, like, trying to get documents ready for the 7 o’clock game — and I’m...
Spring training performances offer hope for Pirates infield
A nice, springtime vibe floated through the Pittsburgh Pirates’ infield in Bradenton, Fla. Baseballs were finding gaps and landing safely for hits, and not just those ricocheting off bats of opposing players. Pirates infielders Ke’Bryan Hayes, Kevin Newman, Adam Frazier, Colin Moran and Erik Gonzalez hit a collective .432 in...
Chad Kuhl rusty in return; Kevin Newman keeps hitting as Pirates lose to Red Sox
It wasn’t so much that Chad Kuhl missed a start in spring training as it was that the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander skipped it to be with his wife Amanda for the birth of his first child, a boy they named Hudson. With 11 days between starts, it was no wonder...
GM Ben Cherington has transformed Pirates into top-10 farm system but ‘not satisfied at all’
Ben Cherington was adamant from his first day as general manager that his mission was to infuse the Pittsburgh Pirates with more talent, believing their minor leagues needed an overhaul. Where his trades of proven veterans Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon were viewed as a total...
Pirates middle infield prospects Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero a ‘very talented odd couple’
Liover Peguero watched Ozzie Smith sprint onto the field, do a handspring followed by a back flip while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. That’s when Peguero knew he wanted to play shortstop. “I used to be like, ‘Oh my God. I want to be like him,’” Peguero said. “I...
Todd Frazier opts out of contract with Pirates, elects free agency
Once expected to platoon at first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Todd Frazier instead exercised the opt-out clause of his minor league contract and elected free agency less than a week before the start of the season. Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported the news. The 35-year-old Frazier, a...
Tyler Anderson stretched out but Derek Shelton mum on Pirates’ Opening Day starting pitcher
If Tyler Anderson is lined up to be the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Derek Shelton isn’t saying. When asked if he was ready to name his starter for the April 1 opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Pirates manager gave a quick “no”...
MLB 2021: NL Central team-by-team previewVideo
Capsules of National League Central teams, in order of finish last year: Chicago Cubs 2020: 34-26, first place, lost to Marlins in first round of playoffs. Manager: David Ross (second season). He’s Here: OF Joc Pederson, RHP Jake Arrieta, RHP Zach Davies, RHP Trevor Williams, RHP Brandon Workman, INF Eric...
Pirates’ Derek Shelton has ‘very challenging decision’ with starting shortstop
The Pittsburgh Pirates promised a competition for the starting job at shortstop and, after narrowing a three-way battle down to two players, Derek Shelton is days away from making a decision. Whether he selects Kevin Newman or Erik Gonzalez to be the starter, the Pirates manager has found both players...
Phillip Evans goes 4 for 5 to lead Pirates’ 16-hit effort in loss to Orioles
Six Pittsburgh Pirates had multiple hits as they rapped out 16 hits Thursday night against the Baltimore Orioles. Problem was, none of them were home runs. The Orioles built a big lead, thanks to three-run homers by Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, and held on for a 10-9 win over...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Position decisions looming for Pirates manager Derek Shelton
By putting the pitcher in the batting order for the first time in spring training, Derek Shelton gave his first glimpse of what an Opening Day lineup could like for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A week before the opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Pirates manager still has...
JT Brubaker throws 5 innings, Nick Gonzales homers as Pirates rally to beat Braves
On a day when the Pittsburgh Pirates lost one starting pitcher for at least the next two months, another came through with a performance that proved he is ready for a spot in the rotation. With lefty Steven Brault (left lat strain) out, right-hander JT Brubaker delivered the deepest outing...
