Former Pirates pitcher Steven Brault retires
Pitcher Steven Brault, who spent parts of six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, announced his retirement on Monday.
In an Instagram post, Brault thanked family, friends and fans “from Aberdeen to Chicago, (and especially my unofficial official hometown, Pittsburgh).”
“I cannot possibly describe what it feels like to achieve a childhood dream. Playing Major League Baseball was everything I could have ever imagined and so much more,” he wrote. “The challenges, successes, failures, lucky breaks, and throwing left handed all made me the best player that I could be. I loved every minute of it, and I will forever cherish the memories of playing the game I loved most at the highest level.”
After joining the Pirates organization in 2015 as the player to be named later from the Baltimore Orioles in the Travis Snider trade, Brault pitched for Pittsburgh from 2016-21. He compiled a 12-18 record with a 4.73 ERA over 107 games, including 52 starts. The Pirates designated Brault for assignment in November 2021, and he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2022, appearing in nine games as a reliever.
As a pitcher, Brault was known as one of the better batters in the Pirates organization, finishing with a .258 batting average, with one homer on Sept. 1, 2019.
Farthest homer hit by a pitcher in 2019:
Steven Brault (441 feet) pic.twitter.com/Gpt06HIW9C
— Max Goldstein (@MaxSportsStudio) November 6, 2019
In 2023, he switched to outfield and played for the Spire City Ghost Hounds in Maryland in the Atlantic League. Brault batted .283 with 51 hits, including seven home runs, in 58 games.
Brault indicated he’d still be involved in baseball.
“I may be retiring from playing, but I plan to continue in this game for life,” he said. “Baseball is my passion, and I plan on sharing that passion with the world.”
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Former Pirates teammates were quick to honor Brault in Instagram comments.
“You make everyone around you better and happier, it was a pleasure to play with you Tilapia,” Francisco Cervilli wrote. “Big hug and keep going.”
“Squid!! Had a blast playing with you. Your passion for the game is infectious to everyone around you,” Jameson Taillon wrote. “My white claw consumption has gone wayyyy down since we stopped being teammates ”
“One of a kind bro! It was awesome having you as a teammate through the grind and into the big leagues,” wrote Chad Kuhl. “Congrats on your career and being the only one with a show homer!”
Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.
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