Want to hear something that might surprise you? The Pirates are the third-most popular team in Pittsburgh, at least when it comes to ratings and branding studies. And according to Dejan Kovacevic of DK on Pittsburgh Sports, it isn't close. What the Pirates are closing the gap on, however, is the expectations they carry when starting their 162-game campaign. Yeah, that's right. The Pirates now have to meet expectations. But this time, unlike the past two decades, they are positive. It ... Read More
Pirates spring training: Three things to watch
1) Pedro Alvarez's move to first Alvarez has the potential to be a 30+ home run guy — as seen during the 2013 season — but his defensive struggles last season may have aided in his lack of offense (.231/.312/.405 slash with 18 home runs in 122 games). Although he didn't attend voluntary workouts in Bradenton, Alvarez has reportedly been working out in Nashville during the offseason and is at 100% health going into spring training. A change to first could help Alvarez focus solely on his ... Read More
Pirates enter spring training with unanswered questions
As the equipment trucks make their way from Pittsburgh to Bradenton, questions still remain with the Pirates. One arbitration case remains Pedro Alvarez is the lone arbitration case that remains open on the Pirates roster. His case will decide the Pirates $5.25 million asking price against his $5.75 asking price. Vance Worley won his case and will earn $2.45 million while the Pirates won it's case against Neil Walker as he will receive $8 million. Walker's dollar amount is not the ... Read More
COLUMN: Changes that baseball really needs to make
New commissioner Rob Manfred has really turned some heads in his first offseason as the commissioner of Major League Baseball. First, in an interview with ESPN, Manfred said that he would consider eliminating defensive shifts to inject some more offense into baseball. To be fair, Manfred didn't say this WAS going to happen, just that he was considering it. In a league that is struggling to produce offense in the non-steroid era, and with pitchers as dominate as ever, I can understand why he ... Read More
Bullpen should be strong again for Pirates
Much like the offensive line on a football team, a Major League bullpen can make or a break a club despite the often unrecognizable or unheralded names. The general fan may only be able to name one or two of the arms in the Pittsburgh Pirates 'pen, but if you have really been paying attention, you ought to know the importance of this group to the team's success over the past couple of seasons. In 2015, manager Clint Hurdle will have a myriad of quality options for the various scenarios he ... Read More
Pirates acquire Salcedo from Braves
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to stockpile for the 2015 season as they have acquired AAA utility INF/OF Edward Salcedo from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for High-A RHP Bryton Trepagnier. Salcedo (23) played his first full year in AAA last season posting a .212/.294/.357 slash line and a .651 OPS with 10 home runs, 21 doubles and 44 RBI in 110 games (413 PA) for Gwinnett of the International League. Salcedo was signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Braves in 2010 and has a ... Read More
Pirates ‘regulars’ under Neal Huntington
As the Pittsburgh Pirates go into the 2015 season, it is not as a team looking for an identity, anymore. It goes into this season as regulars that expect nothing less than their main goal of winning the final game of the season and hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy. It may feel different to fans being called "regulars" after everything they have endured since that night in October way back in 1992, but it's now the truth. And don't think this is only with the Pirates' fanbase, ... Read More
Walker the key to the Pirates signing of Kang
When the Pirates emerged as the winner of the Jung-ho Kang sweepstakes, one name instantly popped in the mind of Pirates' fans around the world: Jordy Mercer. It's fair, after all. Kang played shortstop, and the Pirates didn't bid $5 million for the rights to negotiate with him just to have him as depth, did they? Well, on the surface, it seemed that way. MLB network did, in case you missed it, name Mercer as the sixth best shortstop in baseball. Not that I agree with that, but it's not like ... Read More
Pittsburgh Pirates acquire Steve Lombardozzi from Baltimore Orioles
The Pirates announced on Tuesday that they have acquired infielder Steve Lombardozzi from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations. It's the second move with the Orioles in as many weeks, as outfielder Travis Snider was shipped to Baltimore last week in exchange for pitcher Stephen Tarpley and a player to be named later. Lombardozzi has received an invite to the Pirates Major League spring training camp. Lombardozzi appeared in just 20 games for the Orioles last year, ... Read More
Pirates place seven prospects on MLB’s Top 100 list
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made great strides in rebuilding the organization since the current management team took over in 2007. Not only has the Major League club come from being cellar-dwellers to playoff contenders, but the farm system has gone from barren to one of the best in baseball as seven of the club's top prospects have been placed on MLB's Top 100 prospects list. The seven prospects are the most that any team in the majors has on the list. 12) RHP Tyler Glasnow - The Pirates ... Read More