The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that they would be inviting 12 additional non-roster prospects to spring training in 2016. Headlining the list is prized catching prospect Reese McGuire. The 20-year old McGuire spent the entirety of the 2015 with the Class A- Advanced Bradenton Marauders, in which he hit .254 with a .595 OPS. By most accounts, his defensive abilities are far ahead of his swing. The invite to spring training comes on the heels of a hot sting in the Arizona Fall League. ... Read More
Top 10 stories of 2015: Pittsburgh teams struggled in spotlight
In case you missed it, Pittsburgh Sporting News is counting down the top 10 Pittsburgh sports stories from 2015. The bottom five of the top five have already been covered, and now the countdown will conclude with the top five biggest stories of 2015. No. 5 – James Conner diagnosed with cancer On Dec. 5, University of Pittsburgh running back announced he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. The 20-year-old junior was a 2014 All-American and a candidate for the Heisman Trophy in 2015, ... Read More
Do the Pittsburgh Pirates have a legitimate cleanup hitter?
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a cleanup hitter problem. Indeed, the fourth spot in the batting order is a nebulous one for the team as it is currently constructed. Traditionally, a hitter in that spot is counted on to provide protection for a team's third hitter and, well, clean up by driving in any runners left on base. Last year, the team felt that the cleanup hitter was enough of a weakness to address it mid-season in the form of welcoming Aramis Ramirez back to the fold. Ramirez ... Read More
Pirates offseason analyzed: New additions
It has been a busy time all around baseball as the 2015 season is over and teams are trying to find the right pieces to make a run toward the 2016 World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates are no different and have welcomed some faces, while saying goodbye to other ones. Hellos: Oct. 24 Pirates acquire Trevor Williams - This was a bizarre acquisition as this was later revealed to be compensation for the Pirates losing their "pitching guru" in Jim Benedict, someone whose opinion had high ... Read More
Face off Friday: Pirates roundtable
If there's one thing Pittsburgh Pirates fan love, it's debating the team's move during the off-season. The signing of John Jaso and acquisition of Yoervis Medina gave fans plenty of chances to do so. We here at the Pittsburgh Sporting News are no exception. Fellow Pirates contributor Jose Negron and I went back and forth via email on a few key hot stove topics, and that exchange is recounted for you here. On the First Base position... JASON: Jose, it seems as if the Pirates have ... Read More
Pittsburgh Pirates find left-handed 1B in John Jaso
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a busy day today as they made several moves, most notably addressing their intended first base platoon by signing left-handed hitting 1B/OF John Jaso to a two-year/$8million contract. Jaso missed most of 2015 due to injury. He is a seven-year veteran having spent parts of his career with the Mariners, Rays and Athletics. For his career, Jaso has a triple-slash line of .263/.361/.406. By far Jaso's biggest tool is the ability to get on base, with an excellent ... Read More
Mat Latos could be a quality Plan B for Pirates
With Mike Leake signing a five-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, the mid-tier starting pitching market is dwindling before the eyes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, it may be time for the club to consider turning back around towards a Plan B of sorts. When the hot stove started heating up a few weeks ago, former Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos was pegged as one of the many "reclamation projects" that interested the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team had a better bead on Latos than most, ... Read More
Can Josh Bell be Pirates answer at first base?
The Pittsburgh Pirates have an abundance of questions at this point in the offseason. One of the biggest questions surrounding the organization revolves around the starting first base position at the major league level. With the departure of Pedro Alvarez, veteran Mike Morse and newly-acquired players Jake Goebbert and Jason Rogers are currently three candidates that could replace "El Toro" in 2016. However, one top prospect, and a possible answer at first base, has yet to arrive in the Steel ... Read More
Pittsburgh Pirates acquire LHP Kyle Lobstein for cash
Today the Pittsburgh Pirates announced via Twitter that they have acquired LHP Kyle Lobstein from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. Lobstein is a 26-year old left handed pitcher who has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Tigers. Lobstein has made 17 starts over that time as well as appeared in three games in a relief capacity. He has posted a 5.33 ERA over that span, with a 1.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At first glance, Lobstein's performance thus far can be considered ... Read More
Pirates sign 38-year-old Ryan Vogelsong
Today the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the signing of 38-year-old right handed starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong to a one-year deal. The former Bucco, from 2001-2006, has a career ERA of 4.45, 58 wins and 68 losses, in 165 career starts. Terms to this contract have yet to be confirmed. Last season the pitcher made $4 million starting for the San Francisco Giants. Vogelsong was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round of the 1998 amateur draft. Debuting at age 23 against ... Read More