Kevin Gorman stories, Page 15
Pirates prospect watch: Bubba Chandler allows 1 hit in season debut
Prospect Watch Bubba Chandler, 6-3, 218, RHP The 22-year-old Chandler, a 2021 third-round pick who bypassed a chance to play quarterback at Clemson to sign for a $3 million bonus, is the Pirates’ top prospect and is ranked in the top 100 by both Baseball America (No. 6) and MLB...
‘We need to win more’: Amid protests, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting remains focused on goal
For Bob Nutting, the home opener at PNC Park is a day he describes as “incredibly special” for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s one where the Pirates chairman celebrates the return of baseball to the city, personally greeting players and coaches on the field before the game. As Nutting walked off...
Pirates add OF Alexander Canario, option IF/OF Ji Hwan Bae, trade C Jason Delay to Braves
The Pittsburgh Pirates made multiple roster moves ahead of their home opener against the New York Yankees, adding outfielder Alexander Canario to their 26-man active roster Thursday. To make room for Canario, who was acquired Monday from the New York Mets, the Pirates optioned infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae to Triple-A...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Can Pirates torpedo Yankees’ record-setting blasts with new bats?
Torpedo bats are the talk of baseball, thanks to the number of New York Yankees using them while smashing records in the opening weekend. The Yankees hit nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers in the second game of the season, 18 through the first four games and became the...
Paul Skenes serves as stopper as Pirates snap 4-game losing streak with win over Rays
Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates needed Paul Skenes to stand tall and serve as the stopper. The 6-foot-6 right-hander didn’t shrink. Skenes delivered a quality start that was more efficient than dominant, recording six strikeouts without a walk in seven innings and rallying from 3-0...
New Curve manager accepts challenge of developing prospects making position changes
ALTOONA — As a second-round pick who bounced between the major leagues and the minors, Andy Fox is quick to offer that his heart is in player development because he’s a product of the process. The Altoona Curve plan to tap into their first-year manager’s passion this season by having...
Curve players celebrate Thomas Harrington’s promotion to Pirates, anticipate MLB debut
ALTOONA — Just hours before the Altoona Curve hosted its media day, word circulated with the kind of news that every baseball player dreams about while toiling at the Double-A affiliate. Thomas Harrington earned a promotion to the Pittsburgh Pirates and would make his major league debut against the Tampa...
Pirates No. 3 prospect Thomas Harrington to make MLB debut by starting against Rays
The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting one of their top pitching prospects, as right-hander Thomas Harrington will make his major league debut by starting Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, sources confirmed to TribLive. The 23-year-old Harrington, a 2022 first-round pick (No. 36 overall) out of Campbell University, is ranked the...
Mental mistakes in center by Oneil Cruz prove costly for Pirates in Opening Day loss to Marlins
Oneil Cruz has a history of heroics on Opening Day for the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving as the difference-maker in one-run wins at the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and at the Miami Marlins last year. But Cruz was at the central figure in a game defined by critical defensive lapses as...
Defensive lapses cost Pirates, who blow Paul Skenes’ strong start as Marlins rally to win opener
Paul Skenes made history by becoming the fastest No. 1 overall draft pick to make an Opening Day start. Then the 22-year-old right-hander made a case for why he’s the NL Cy Young favorite. Then the Pittsburgh Pirates blew it. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick of the MLB Draft,...
Pirates place RHP Jared Jones on IL, add LHP Ryan Borucki to finalize Opening Day roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates made multiple roster moves to finalize their 26-man Opening Day roster, most notably by placing a pair of prominent players on the injured list. The Pirates placed right-handed pitcher Jared Jones on the 15-day injured list with a ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right elbow and...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: LHP Joey Wentz wins final spot as Pirates finalize Opening Day roster
Joey Wentz took shots to his left wrist and his right shin on a couple of comebackers in the span of three pitches in his final outing for the Detroit Tigers but didn’t experience any real pain until the next day. That’s when Detroit designated the left-handed reliever for assignment,...
‘It’s time to win’: Manager Derek Shelton sets expectation for Pirates to make a playoff push
From the start of spring training, Derek Shelton set an expectation for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. It was a simple and straightforward message to deliver, one that’s harder to accomplish. “It’s time to win,” Shelton told TribLive. “That’s the only focus.” The Pirates followed back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021-22...
Whether it’s turnover or rearranging chairs, Pirates will have new-look Opening Day lineup
What’s more surprising, that the Pittsburgh Pirates return only a dozen or so players from last year’s Opening Day 26-man roster or the possibility they could have new starters at almost every position? As the Pirates prepare for their season opener Thursday at the Miami Marlins, the only players from...
Previewing the Pirates: Carmen Mlodzinski moving to starting role creates bullpen opening
Carmen Mlodzinski wanted to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues, so the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander bet big on himself. And it paid off when he earned a spot in the starting rotation. Drafted No. 31 overall in 2020, Mlodzinski converted to a relief role in 2023. He fared...
Twins hammer Thomas Harrington in 2nd, hand Pirates 5th consecutive loss in spring finale
The Pittsburgh Pirates gave Thomas Harrington the final start of spring training, even though they had decided that the 23-year-old right-hander wasn’t going to make their Opening Day roster. Harrington made quick work of the Minnesota Twins in an 11-pitch first inning, sandwiching strikeouts of Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton...
Previewing the Pirates: Endy Rodriguez wins 1 position player battle, helps solve another
The Pittsburgh Pirates opened spring training with a glaring hole at first base and a handful of candidates looking to take advantage of the opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. With Spencer Horwitz sidelined after surgery on his right wrist, everyone from veterans Darick Hall and DJ Stewart to...
Joey Wentz strikes out side as Pirates bullpen perfect, bats quiet in loss to Blue Jays
The Pittsburgh Pirates got seven strikeouts in three perfect innings from their bullpen but little production at the plate in dropping the penultimate game of their spring training schedule. The Toronto Blue Jays scored two runs off Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter in a four-hit third inning and held on for...
Defying odds after knee injury, Hunter Stratton rewarded by Pirates with 40-man roster spot
Hunter Stratton had beaten the odds before, so the Pittsburgh Pirates reliever was convinced he could beat a timeline to return from injury. A 16th-round draft pick who spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, Stratton persevered to make his major-league debut in September 2023. After being nontendered that offseason,...
2025 Pirates 40-man roster breakdown
The Pittsburgh Pirates have 20 pitchers and 20 position players on their 40-man roster as the 2025 season approaches. Here’s a look at each player: Pirates’ 40-man roster No. Name, Ht., Wt., Pos. 67 Braxton Ashcraft, 6-5, 220, RHP: If top-10 prospect can stay healthy, his upper 90s fastball should...
‘I want to win’: Paul Skenes sets bar high, aims to raise ceiling for Pirates
Paul Skenes isn’t shy about saying he wants to win with the Pittsburgh Pirates, though he doesn’t directly discuss winning a World Series. Instead, the 22-year-old right-hander talks about raising the floor and the ceiling as if issuing a challenge not just to himself but the entire franchise. Skenes is...
Pirates option Henry Davis, select RHP Hunter Stratton, DFA Joshua Palacios in roster moves
The Pittsburgh Pirates took steps toward finalizing their Opening Day roster by making a handful of roster moves Saturday, including one that involves a former No. 1 overall pick. The Pirates selected right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton to their major league roster, designated outfielder Joshua Palacios for assignment and optioned catcher...
Pirates hearing Matt Hague crystal clear, as new hitting coach attempts to speak their language
Matt Hague had headphones on from the home dugout at LECOM Park and was talking with the SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcast crew when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ new hitting coach addressed the nature of his job. “We’re therapists sometimes, trying to be their hitting bilinguist sometimes,” said Hague, 40, who played professionally...
Mitch Keller finishes spring training with strong start, but Red Sox rally in 8th to beat Pirates
Mitch Keller put a punctuation mark on a strong spring training in his final start, striking out five of the 10 batters he faced in three scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. The Pittsburgh Pirates also got a fourth consecutive scoreless appearances from left-hander Caleb Ferguson, a...
‘Get out and get a new owner’: Ken Rosenthal calls for Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates fans have been begging chairman Bob Nutting to sell the team, going so far as to buy billboards around town and shouting it in protest at PiratesFest in January. Now, a prominent national baseball voice is calling for Nutting to sell the Pirates. Ken Rosenthal, a senior writer...
