Pittsburgh Pirates fans held their collective breaths as Ed Easley came to the plate in a bases loaded bottom of the ninth situation. His fly out which ended the game with an ultimate cliffhanger. Friday was Spring Training baseball at its finest as the Pirates and Minnesota Twins battled to a 2-2 tie. Liriano faces former team Francisco Liriano may have felt as though he was seeing double facing the team whose uniform he once wore. It would have been hard to notice as Liriano ... Read More
Brault looks to make impact as non-roster invite for Pirates
The amount of pitching depth the Pittsburgh Pirates have within their minor league system is noticeable. All you have to do is look at the talent that is gracing the fields at Pirates City in Bradenton, Fla. The brigade of young talent includes Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon and Nick Kingham, as well as non-roster invites Chad Kuhl and Trevor Willams. However, one pitcher in particular that should attract attention will be non-roster invite Steven Brault. In January of 2015, the Pirates ... Read More
Pirates fall to Tigers, 10-3
Skepticism would be a good way to describe how fans feel about Jeff Locke projecting to be a part of this season's Pittsburgh Pirates pitching rotation. Locke did himself no favors allowing four runs in his two innings of a 10-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage has worked with Locke to try to correct things which could allow him to find more consistent success and this could very well be a byproduct of making the adjustment. It also could be the same old ... Read More
Pirates win Spring Training opener
Last season was a frustrating one to say the least for Jordy Mercer. The Pirates shortstop, known for his defense, could not match that intensity to the offensive side of the game and missed significant time with a left leg injury. Tuesday's Spring Training opening game against the Detroit Tigers shows that Mercer has moved on from last year as he hit one of two Pirates home runs on the day. The Pirates also took the victory winning by a 4-2 score. Francisco Cervelli hit the other ... Read More
COLUMN: Forward-thinking Pirates cannot abandon that approach
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