Kevin Gorman stories, Page 60

BRADENTON, Fla. — JT Brubaker came out slinging his slider against the Baltimore Orioles, gaining such confidence in the pitch that Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Roberto Perez called it three times in a row. Brubaker threw his slider on seven of his 25 pitches Tuesday, including a swinging strikeout by Jacob...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Hey there, Delilah. Before the birth of his first child — a daughter, Delilah Marie — Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel provided the perfect present. As Pirates bench coach Don Kelly shared a shoutout to Lauren Gamel during the AT&T SportsNet broadcast that her husband was leaving...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Chris Stratton avoided arbitration with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the right-handed reliever more than doubled his salary by agreeing to a one-year, $2.7 million contract for the 2022 season. All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds is the Pirates’ only other arbitration-eligible player this season. After making $601,000 last...

BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates made their first roster moves of spring training, it provided insight into why one of their former first-round draft picks didn’t play in any Grapefruit League games this spring. Outfielder Travis Swaggerty, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, was...

Roansy Contreras raised eyebrows when his first pitch was clocked at 99.4 mph, though it wasn’t because the Pittsburgh Pirates are unaware the 22-year-old right-hander is capable of touching triple digits. That he was throwing heat in his first spring training appearance is a sign that Contreras, their top pitching...

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Dillon Peters was a late addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation last season after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations in mid-July. After the Pirates signed fellow lefty Jose Quintana to a free-agent deal, Peters seemed like a forgotten man in the...

Oneil Cruz attempted to explain how he turned an ankles-high pitch into a 413-foot home run Saturday, crediting everything from his work in the batting cage to keeping an eye on the ball to barreling it. Then the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect flashed a smile and offered the only explanation...

BRADENTON, Fla. — A day after being hit in the left thigh by a comebacker in his first spring training start, Mitch Keller was walking around the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse without any worries that it would disrupt his daily routine. “No, I don’t think so,” Keller said Sunday morning at...

BRADENTON, Fla. — After an offseason when Mitch Keller’s four-seam fastball touched triple digits in a bullpen session, there was anticipation he could top 100 mph in his first start of spring training. Instead, Keller was on the receiving end of one. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was removed with two...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller’s first start of spring training ended early, as the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander left in the top of the second inning after a comebacker ricocheted off his left leg. After Detroit Tigers left fielder Daz Cameron lined a shot off Keller’s thigh with two outs in...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Cole Tucker didn’t want to count on what clicked for him last season to carry over. So the Pittsburgh Pirates switch-hitting shortstop sought professional advice from former switch-hitting All-Star, former MLB hitting coach Chili Davis. It started after a conversation with Pirates manager Derek Shelton and bench...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Greg Allen sidestepped the chance to call it a revenge game but couldn’t suppress a smile about hitting a home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates against his former team. The outfielder hit a two-run blast off Braden Brito in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The velocity drop on his four-seam fastball was as much a mystery to Mitch Keller as it was to anyone watching the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander struggle to live up to lofty expectations. Keller had touched triple digits in the minors and averaged 95.4 mph on his heater...

Wil Crowe will be on the mound Friday when the Pittsburgh Pirates open Grapefruit League play against the New York Yankees at 1:05 p.m. at LECOM Park. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said right-handers Crowe, Jerad Eickhoff and Kyle Nicolas will pitch early for the Pirates, with others in relief, and...

BRADENTON, Fla. — After a sizzling spring led to a fizzling five months where he hovered just above the Mendoza Line, Kevin Newman knew he needed to change something about his swing. He opted for a complete reconstruction. The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop set a spring training record by hitting .606...

Nick Gonzales admits he was “definitely nervous” about participating in his first spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, given the expectations attached to being their 2020 first-round pick. Now, he is wearing a new label. MLB Pipeline ranked Gonzales the No. 1 second baseman in the minor leagues,...

The Pittsburgh Pirates added an arm to their competition for the starting rotation by claiming right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina off waivers Wednesday from the Philadelphia Phillies. Medina, 25, was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Phillies, including two starts,...

Instead of opening the season against the Cardinals, as originally scheduled March 31-April 3, the Pittsburgh Pirates will play host to their NL Central rivals in the final week of the season. The Pittsburgh Pirates released their updated regular-season schedule Wednesday, making up games against the St. Louis Cardinals and...

Bryan Reynolds has only three major-league seasons under his belt, so he hardly can believe he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Reynolds has become one of...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added another veteran reliever to their bullpen competition by signing right-hander Austin Brice to a minor league contract. A source confirmed that Brice, 29, is a nonroster invitee to spring training moments after he entered the clubhouse at LECOM Park. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Brice...

BRADENTON, Fla. — As Derek Shelton starts his third season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, he believes the adversity he has dealt with is making him a battle-tested leader who knows how to adapt and adjust. Shelton’s first spring training was interrupted by the outbreak of a global pandemic that shut...

BRADENTON, Fla. — After ending the 2021 season in the same spot he spent the first two months — the injured list — Ke’Bryan Hayes spent the offseason taking care of the left hand and wrist that was a riddle to his rookie year. Hayes played in only 96 games...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added some pop to their lineup and an arm to their bullpen Tuesday by signing a pair of free agents who have played in the NL Central. The Pirates signed slugger Daniel Vogelbach, a 2019 All-Star who can play first base and designated hitter,...

BRADENTON, Fla. – How Roberto Perez came from Cleveland to Pittsburgh is a story that starts in Toronto, where Ben Cherington worked before becoming Pirates general manager. Cherington gained insight into the two-time AL Gold Glove winner from listening to Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins rave for three years...