Kevin Gorman stories, Page 18
‘Don’t forget about Mitch’: Pirates count on Keller to rebound from second-half struggles
BRADENTON, Fla. — It never dawned on Mitch Keller that he took the mound for their Grapefruit League home opener a year to the day after he signed a five-year, $77 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not having it on his mind was liberating. “Now I can just...
Pirates win Grapefruit League opener against Orioles as Carmen Mlodzinski moves into starter’s role
SARASOTA — When Carmen Mlodzinski moved to the bullpen two years ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates told him they weren’t closing the door on his chances of being a starting pitcher in the major leagues. In his exit interview last fall, Mlodzinski made it clear it was an avenue he wanted...
Pressure point: Pirates still betting on Henry Davis, who is learning to cancel out the noise
BRADENTON, Fla. — Searching for solitude and his swing, Henry Davis found a baseball facility that was empty in the morning this offseason. He arrived early and put on headphones while hitting fastballs off a self-feeder. What was on his playlist? “Crowd noise,” Davis said. “I just wanted to replicate...
After signing, LHP Andrew Heaney says he’s ‘got to go out there and perform’ for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Andrew Heaney arrived just as the Pittsburgh Pirates were transitioning from Pirate City to LECOM Park, so his head was still spinning about joining a new team. Where Pirates pitchers were thrilled to add a world champion to their starting rotation, the 33-year-old left-hander is ready and...
‘That’s what we need’: Pirates pitchers have positive reaction to adding LHP Andrew Heaney
BRADENTON, Fla. — Paul Skenes grew up a Los Angeles Angels fans, so he’s watched Andrew Heaney pitch for years. When the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to terms with the veteran left-hander, Skenes saw it as a sign that they are committed to creating a winning culture. Heaney has pitched in...
Pirates add lefty starter Andrew Heaney to rotation
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a World Series champion left-handed pitcher to their starting rotation by signing veteran Andrew Heaney to a one-year contract, pending physical, a source confirmed to TribLive. Heaney, 33, is 51-62 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 185 career starts over 11 seasons. The 6-foot-2,...
‘It’s overwhelming’: Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Ernie Withers visits Pirate City
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ernie Withers found it surreal to be back at Pirate City on Thursday, almost two years to the day after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest while watching a workout in the outfield. This time, Withers was content to stand outside the fences and chat with Dr. Patrick...
‘Ready to roll’: After season of struggles, David Bednar aims at reclaiming Pirates’ closer role
BRADENTON, Fla. — Being booed off the field in his hometown was humbling for David Bednar, as Pittsburgh Pirates fans voiced their displeasure with his blown leads in late-game situations. The two-time All-Star believes that how he dealt with the criticism would define him more so than the struggles last...
‘I’ve accepted it’: With Oneil Cruz in center field, Pirates believe his ceiling is cathedral
BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz comes from a family of shortstops, so his switch to center field late last season came with concerns about whether the Pittsburgh Pirates star would accept the new position. Before Cruz left the Dominican Republic for spring training, his 6-year-old son provided the true test...
Pirates announce broadcast schedule for Grapefruit League games
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that SportsNet Pittsburgh will televise a dozen home games in Grapefruit League play this spring and show their opponents’ broadcast in seven others. The broadcast schedule includes this weekend’s openers, Saturday at the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and Sunday’s home opener against the...
Spencer Horwitz takes a step in recovery, fielding grounders at first base for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Spencer Horwitz is finally playing first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even if his activity is limited to fielding grounders after workouts at Pirate City. His first spring training since being acquired by the Pirates was disrupted before it even started when Horwitz underwent surgery on his...
Receptive to right field, Pirates All-Star Bryan Reynolds wants to dispel defensive doubts
BRADENTON, Fla. — Playing right field at PNC Park can be an adventure. Not only is Bryan Reynolds ready for the ride, but the two-time All-Star outfielder is motivated to dispel defensive doubts and prove everyone wrong. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton revealed the plan to move Reynolds to right...
Tommy Pham makes smash-bang introduction as Pirates set expectation to ‘win in the margins’
BRADENTON, Fla. — The message manager Derek Shelton delivered to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the first full-squad workout of spring training was about the expectation of winning, a new mantra for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. After following back-to-back 100-loss seasons with successive 76-win seasons,...
Who’s on first?: Finding a first baseman a priority for Pirates as spring training starts
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a revolving door at first base since trading Josh Bell to Washington in December 2020, a year after he was an All-Star who hit 37 home runs and had 116 RBIs. The turnstile is at 23 players and counting now that the...
Pirates’ Paul Skenes embraces expectations to improve efficiency for encore to rookie season
BRADENTON, Fla. — Where Paul Skenes came to spring training last year looking to live up to his billing as the No. 1 overall draft pick and make his major-league debut, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander arrived at Pirate City last week as — in his words — “definitely a different...
‘It feels like home’: Adam Frazier brings playoff experience in return to roots with Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. – When Adam Frazier returned to the practice fields at Pirate City, he was greeted with handshakes and hugs by Pittsburgh Pirates teammates old and new. Frazier, 33, signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract late last month to return to the team that drafted and developed him and...
GM Ben Cherington: Pirates ‘not on the doorstep’ of making a major move at first base
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pittsburgh Pirates have a glaring hole at first base, but if they are about to make a big move to bolster their roster, it’s news to general manager Ben Cherington. Cherington said the Pirates are still talking to free agents and open to potential trades, but...
Bonded by surgeries, Pirates RHP Johan Oviedo, C Endy Rodriguez share special bullpenVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Endy Rodriguez wore Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses under his mask while catching Johan Oviedo’s bullpen, giving a backstop view of the imposing Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander. It was the first bullpen of spring training for Oviedo, who is returning after sitting out last season while recovering from surgery to...
Key to being healthy: Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes hopes he conquered chronic back issues
BRADENTON, Fla. — On a day where the attention is typically focused on the first workout for pitchers and catchers, all eyes were on Ke’Bryan Hayes taking grounders and making throws across the infield. The 2023 NL Gold Glove third baseman showed positive signs Wednesday morning at Pirate City, smiling...
With Spencer Horwitz out after wrist surgery, Pirates explore internal options at 1st base
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a serious setback before spring training started, as newly acquired first baseman Spencer Horwitz will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery. Horwitz’s absence, possibly for the entirety of spring training, forces general manager Ben Cherington to go back to the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Health of Ke’Bryan Hayes tops Pirates’ spring training storylines
Ke’Bryan Hayes knows his best ability for the Pittsburgh Pirates is his availability, and lingering injuries have been the biggest liability of his major-league career. When healthy, Hayes is an elite defender at third base with an NL Gold Glove on his resume. He was a 4.0 WAR player voted...
With a superstar in pitcher Paul Skenes, the Pirates start spring training ‘ready to win’
While the start of spring training represents a season of endless possibilities, the Pittsburgh Pirates begins theirs on Wednesday with an air of certainty because of one player: Paul Skenes. The Pirates know they have a superstar in Skenes, the 6-foot-6 All-Star right-handed pitcher who blew away batters with his...
Dave Parker’s Hall of Fame plaque will depict the 1978 NL MVP wearing a Pirates cap
When Dave Parker is enshrined in Cooperstown this summer, his plaque will have him wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates cap, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Monday. Parker, a seven-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, two-time batting champion and 1978 National League MVP, will have his plaque revealed...
Analysis: With Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton on hot seat, Pirates must find ways to win
In a pitch to pacify a frustrated fan base, Pittsburgh Pirates president Travis Williams acknowledged their passion was evident “because we’re not winning and have expectations of winning” before assuring everyone about the club’s commitment to want to win. To prove how close the Pirates are to winning, Williams pointed...
‘Speak up’: Pirates stars Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds vow to be more vocal leaders
They were traded for one another in one of the most controversial moves in recent Pittsburgh Pirates history, a deal that sent franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco for an unproven Bryan Reynolds. The two have tiptoed around that topic the past two seasons, even as they formed the...
