As reported by the Tribune Review, tensions recently flared between Gerrit Cole and the Pirates' management. As a quick primer, Cole was upset at the club's offer for his 2016 salary. While the initial offer was for $538,000, general manager Neal Huntington later admitted that figure to be a mistake. The final offer, signed by Cole, is for $541,000. For those who may not know, any MLB player with 0-3 years of service (or, "Pre-Arbitration") is subject to the league minimum salary of ... Read More
Pirates play Black-Gold Scrimmage
The Pittsburgh Pirates held its Black-Gold intrasquad game Monday afternoon and it was the gold team which won by a 4-3 score. This game served as the first time many fans have seen Jameson Taillon on a mound since he underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2014. His outing was a mixed bag as he faced nine batters, striking out three of them, but also allowing a run. Taillon's mound opponent in this game was Tyler Glasnow, the Pirates top prospect pitcher who many fans wanted to see as a ... Read More
Pirates have options with remaining bench spots
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bench is different than previous seasons. In the past, the bench typically provided good defense, but little on offense. In 2014, for example, the bench had three of its members – Jayson Nix, Michael Martinez and Brent Morel – batting under .200 on it. Pinch hitters were usually easy outs, and instead just good defensive substitutions. Now, the script has been flipped. Three spots on the five-man bench are secured by Sean Rodriguez, Chris Stewart and whoever in ... Read More
COLUMN: The fight to keep McCutchen a Pirate may not be about money
At this very moment, there seems to be no hotter topic in Pittsburgh sports than Andrew McCutchen's contract. It's easy to understand why. Rightfully lauded as a masterstroke by general manager Neal Huntington, McCutchen's contract extension is often served up as an example of a forward-thinking front office. It represents the very hope of fans that the team will continue to do right by them and at least explore the possibility of another extension for the perennial MVP candidate. For his ... Read More
Pirates add fourth OF option in Matt Joyce
National baseball writer Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Pirates have signed former American League All-Star Matt Joyce to a minor league deal. Below are Joyce's career stats as well as his 162-game average. ... Read More
Early NL Central Predictions
Pitchers and catchers start reporting Feb. 17 with other teams doing the same later in the week. This means that baseball season is fast approaching. With that in mind, it is time to offer up an early look at how I expect the National League Central to shape up. Will the St. Louis Cardinals continue its dominance atop the division? 1. Chicago Cubs 88-74 Key additions- Jason Heyward (FA), John Lackey (FA), Ben Zobrist (FA), Adam Warren (trade/Yankees) Key departures- Starlin Castro ... Read More
Pirates spring training preview: Pirates young outfield ready to take next step
As part of our Spring Training preview, we will be highlighting each unit of the Pittsburgh Pirates, spotlighting what they might be working on as they get ready to face the rigors of the Major League Baseball season. In part one we focused on what the starting rotation should work on. Now, the outfielders get their turn. The Pittsburgh Pirates have arguably the best young outfield in baseball. Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen combined for 12.9 WAR (wins above ... Read More
What could the Pirates lineup look like in 2016?
With Spring Training just a little over a week away, it's easy to begin to speculate what the Pittsburgh lineup could look like once the regular season gets underway. I thought that I would dive into this specific topic and give my take on what the Pirates projected lineup could consist of. However, before I begin, may I please add that this is a projected list and this, of course, is purely based on my opinion. 1.) Gregory Polanco, RF The lead-off spot is arguably one of the most ... Read More
Pirates mailbag part 2: Hot take – Pirates are still really good
With Spring Training thankfully less than a month away for your Pittsburgh Pirates, what better time to open the doors to questions from our readership?We recently put out a call for any burning questions you may have regarding the Pirates. As you can probably expect, the questions were many and varied.We had so many in fact that we had to break it up into two parts. You can catch up on part one right here.Now, here's the best of the rest.QUESTION: How long will it take all the fair-weather fans ... Read More
Pirates spring training preview: Searage to get to work early
The Pittsburgh Pirates' assembled pitchers and catchers will report to the club's Bradenton, Florida headquarters on Feb. 18. The next day, the first pitches that have any true bearing on the 2016 season - albeit tangentially - will be thrown.Ostensibly used as a means for pitchers to ramp their arms up for a full season's work load, the extra time at Pirate City can also be used for Ray Searage and company to get a jump start on the multitude of work that goes into getting a full pitching staff ... Read More