Pirates/MLB category, Page 200
Trevor Cahill will take survivor techniques to the mound for Pirates
Living the life of a starting pitcher, Trevor Cahill knows what it feels like to fall short of expectations and suffer through the next five days before you can do something about it. It can be a mental grind. But Cahill, 33, can be labeled a survivor in baseball terms,...
It’s only spring training, so Pirates’ Steven Brault can take ‘getting punished’
When he walks to the mound for a spring training game, Steven Brault fills his head with three purposes: • Renewing familiarity with hitters he hasn’t seen since last season. • Rebuilding his arm strength for the next six months. • Taking it on the chin, if necessary. The Pittsburgh...
Recent trade pickup Duane Underwood Jr. confident he can help Pirates’ pitching staff
Duane Underwood Jr. spent his first 8½ years as a professional with one organization. Joining the Pittsburgh Pirates was a whole lot of new — but not without some familiar faces. “I actually knew a few of the guys just from working out in offseason and just being around the...
Adam Frazier stays hot, Pirates hit 3 home runs in spring loss to Yankees
Adam Frazier is eager to put a rare “off” season behind him. So far this spring, he appears well on his way. A three-hit outing during a 7-5 loss at the New York Yankees on Saturday bumped Frazier’s average up to .667 through four games after a delayed start to...
Chase De Jong successful in start, Cole Tucker returns to lineup in Pirates’ spring win
Right-hander Chase De Jong continued to make his case as a darkhorse candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching three shutout innings of a 2-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in Bradenton, Fla. A 27-year-old former second-round pick of the Blue Jays signed as a minor league free...
Pirates place pitcher Blake Cederlind on 60-day IL with elbow injury
Buried in the final paragraph of a team release to officially announce the previously reported signing of veteran pitcher Trevor Cahill was some ominous-sounding news regarding the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen. Blake Cederlind was placed on the 60-day injured list because of a potentially serious injury to his...
Ke’Bryan Hayes, Mitch Keller among 30 pre-arbitration players Pirates sign for 2021
Ke’Bryan Hayes, Mitch Keller and others who figure to be long-term pieces of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rebuild agreed to terms on contracts for the 2021 season, the organization announced Friday. Third baseman Hayes and starting pitcher Keller are among 30 pre-arbitration players who agreed to salaries at or near the...
Pirates preaching aggressive approach on bases as a way to manufacture more runs
When Derek Shelton self-assessed his rookie season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, his greatest regret was the moves he didn’t make. Shelton wishes his team had been more aggressive in not only stealing bases but also situational running like 3-2 counts and hit-and-runs. If the Pirates look different on the basepaths...
Pirates sign veteran pitcher Trevor Cahill to 1-year contract
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a veteran to their pitching staff by signing right-hander Trevor Cahill to a one-year contract for $1.5 million, with another $1 million in incentives. The Pirates are his ninth team in 13 seasons. The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder was 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA and 31 strikeouts in...
For Pirates, March 12 marks ominous 1-year anniversary of spring training shutdown
When the calendar flips to March 12 on Friday, it represents an ominous one-year anniversary for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the day a global pandemic interrupted spring training and stopped the sports world for months. The previous night, the NBA stopped its season when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested...
Anthony Alford takes center stage, shining for Pirates with home run, diving catch
A day after Jared Oliva and Brian Goodwin made their mark on the center field competition with home runs, Anthony Alford answered in a way that might have pushed him to the forefront. Alford hit a two-run homer in the second inning, made a spectacular catch in the third, then...
Pirates say tickets to be offered month-to-month, delivered digitally
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that tickets will be made available on a month-to-month basis to start the season and delivered digitally. Starting Thursday, the Pirates will notify groups for an exclusive presale for full, half and partial season plans for the first dozen games over two homestands at PNC Park,...
In 2nd spring training with Pirates, Jared Oliva emerges as dark horse in center field
Jared Oliva will be the first to admit he was uncomfortable at his first major league spring training last year, trying to absorb as much as he could from veterans without stepping on any toes. That was evident to Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who saw as much trepidation as...
Brian Goodwin’s game-tying grand slam brings a boost to Pirates’ competition in center field
Brian Goodwin could tell by playing the outfield that the wind was doing something different Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, calling it a difficult night for fly balls. The New York Yankees had built a five-run lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates by sending two of them over the...
With shortstops Kevin Newman, Cole Tucker injured, Pirates preach patience in recovery
When two of the three players fighting for the same starting job end up seeing Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, he expects their competitive spirit to play a role in their recovery. Tomczyk is counting on the relationships and trust he has built with shortstops Kevin Newman...
Tim Benz: Pirates not alone when it comes to creating lack of competition
Pirates fans, at least you aren’t alone when it comes to your team’s place within the ecosystem of baseball economics. Along with how your team is operating within that world. Meet the Colorado Rockies. They decided to pay the St. Louis Cardinals to accept All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in...
Pirates emphasizing defense, consistency in 3-way battle for backup catcher
When Derek Shelton ordained Jacob Stallings the starting catcher at the outset of spring training, it didn’t signal the end of the competition at one of the most pivotal positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, it was just the beginning of a battle for the three catchers vying to become...
Pirates get 17 hits, fall just short of no-hitter in Grapefruit League win over Braves
It all came down to the final out. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one out away from a spring training no-hitter, thanks to a double play in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves. Right-handed reliever Nick Mears lost the no-hit bid when Phillip Ervin singled on a soft...
For Pirates manager Derek Shelton, building a batting order is best served with variety
Most days, Derek Shelton is loathe to discuss lineups. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager used so many different batting orders last season — 57 in 60 games — that it became a running joke: As many varieties as Heinz. On Tuesday, however, Shelton was in a good mood and delved into...
Dustin Fowler excited for fresh start, chance to compete for outfield job with the Pirates
Dustin Fowler’s once-promising career had bottomed out when the former top-100 prospect was designated for assignment by the Oakland A’s, so he was excited to get the call about the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates traded cash considerations for Fowler, giving the 26-year-old outfielder the opportunity to join an open competition...
Pirates’ Miguel Yajure, acquired in Jameson Taillon trade, aims high
Just 22 years old and with a mere 64 professional games at any level to his credit, Miguel Yajure isn’t afraid to shoot high in his first season with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. “I always have really, really (lofty) goals (in addition to modest) ones,” the young right-hander said during...
Pirates rout Orioles, surpass win total from last spring training
Derek Shelton started to chuckle before a question was finished being asked about his team’s Grapefruit League record . “The spring training record does not matter,” Shelton said after the Pittsburgh Pirates improved to 4-3-1 with a 13-1 victory against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. “But it is nice...
Pirates acquire former heralded pitching prospect Duane Underwood Jr. from Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington continued to add arms to the organizational pitching pool by trading for former heralded pitching prospect Duane Underwood Jr. from the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The 26-year-old Underwood three times was listed among the Cubs’ top 10 prospects by MLB.com, peaking at No. 4...
Gregory Polanco’s 3-hit game propels Pirates past Jameson Taillon, Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates were scheduled to face one of their former aces when they played the New York Yankees on Saturday before a forecast for rain caused a change to the starting pitchers. Instead of Gerrit Cole, they got Jameson Taillon. The 2010 first-round pick, once expected to anchor the...
Pirates’ search for a starting center fielder could have Bryan Reynolds feeling left out
Bryan Reynolds calls center field his natural position, claims he gets truer reads off the bat and has the most fun there because he gets more chances to run down fly balls and make diving catches. With an open competition in center this spring training, it’s only natural to wonder...
