(Photo: David Hague) Latest Pirates Buzz Funny how things work. After weeks of doing nothing to quiet the chatter locally or nationally that they [Pirates] were aggressively trying to trade Andrew McCutchen, Pirate manager Clint Hurdle comes out telling reporters this afternoon the Pirates are not the “aggressors” in trade talks surrounding McCutchen. About an hour later after Hurdle’s comments, the Washington Nationals acquired Adam Eaton. It was clear what was going on. Reality was setting in for the Pirates today that they might not move McCutchen this week or this winter after being certain he would be moved by now. Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo met Tuesday afternoon with the Nationals giving the Pirates a list of prospects they were willing to include in a trade for McCutchen. The key pieces the Pirates sought, Giolito/Lopez who were main pieces in the Eaton deal, were notRead More »
Pittsburgh Pirates
Winter Meetings: Nationals, Pirates re-engage in trade talks
Nationals to pull out of trade talks if no deal by end of weekend?
McCutchen Trade to go down in next 24-48 hours?
McCutchen on the Move The Andrew McCutchen situation hasn’t changed from 10-14 days ago. The Pirates are trading him and the return is going to be more of a prospect-type return. The question now is just whether the deal happens before the Winter Meetings next week. Odds are it will. Word out of the Pirates organization is the Pirates have relayed
Latest Chatter: Pirates eyeing prospect-type return for McCutchen?
McCutchen on the move, It Appears Sources close to the situation say the mood throughout the Pirates organization from coaches to front office members on Andrew McCutchen is this: He’s going to be traded. Inside Pittsburgh Sports has learned, Pirates GM Neal Huntington is motivated to move McCutchen this winter and has made it clear to interested clubs,
Swing and Miss Stuff from Glasnow vs Cardinals
Tyler Glasnow’s final start of the season gave the Pirates a little bit of everything. It highlighted areas that remain concerning for Glasnow — Location –. Glasnow walked four batters through five innings and in the third inning left a 95 mph fastball smack down the middle in Jedd Gyorko’s wheelhouse. However, most encouraging, Glasnow showed many signs of why the Pirates and others around baseball have felt Glasnow has untapped potential that has made him one of MLB’s top-10 prospects. Last night’s outing saw Glasnow’s four seam fastball touch 96 mph and the swing and miss stuff was excellent. Of the 42 strikes Glasnow threw, he had 12
TIOPS Daily Five: Chances slim the Pirates view Andrew McCutchen as a $14 million a year player for 17
TIOPS Daily Five *Rumblings, Musings, Opinions* 1. The Gretzky bias. Sidney Crosby on Thursday night became the third player in hockey history to have a Hart Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and World Cup/Canada Cup MVP on his resume. The other two are Wayne Gretzky (1987) and Bobby Orr (1976). The other two should be Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr. Lemieux’s dominance during the 1987 Canada Cup in what was really the passing of the torch in Lemieux emerging as the worlds greatest player, saw him dominate the tournament with 11 goals, 18 points in nine games. Yet it was Gretzky and his 3 goals, 21 points who took home the MVP honors. 2. Andrew McCutchen in 2016: 24 home runs, 77 RBI, .769 OPS, -0.5 WAR Pedro Alvarez in 2015: 27 home runs, 77 RBI, .789 OPS, 0.1 WAR Andrew McCutchen has been Pedro Alvarez at the plate and McCutchenRead More »
Reds 8 – Pirates 0: Full Collapse Mode
Reds 8 – Pirates 0 The Pittsburgh Pirates September collapse continued Sunday afternoon with a 8-0 loss to the Reds at PNC Park as the lowly Reds took three of four from the Pirates. The Pirates falling to 69-72 on the season, have lost 11 of 13. Pittsburgh is also now 36-38 at home. This was a disaster from the start with the Reds putting up a five run second inning off Ryan Vogelsong. Vogelsong lasted just four innings, allowing 7 hits, 6 earned, while walking three and striking out none. Vogelsong had no command in throwing 34 strikes on 72 pitches. The boost Vogelsong brought to the rotation in his first couple starts back from injury is now ancient history. There is zero reason to throw him back out there this season with the Pirates now in 2017 mode. Vogelsong’s struggles saw Tyler Glasnow see his first action inRead More »
Another Brutal Loss, Evaluating Drew Hutchison’s Pirates Debut
Drew Hutchison’s Pirates debut saw the right hander be awarded a 4-0 lead after three innings, only to see things unravel in the fourth inning, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs in a disastrous inning as the Reds would go on to score seven unanswered runs, tagging Trevor Williams for three more in the fifth. What the Pirates continue to do is find ways to lose in falling two games under .500 with a record of 69-71. Down 7-4, the Pirates would get two runs in the sixth to cut the Reds lead to 7-6. Then in the ninth Juan Nicasio allows a costly solo home run to give the Reds a two run cushion going into the bottom of the ninth. The Pirates would fall 8-7. Another brutal loss against a bad Reds team that puts the Pirates playoff chances at about two percent entering Sunday. As it wasRead More »
Signs of sustainability from Ivan Nova to make him an off-season priority?
Have the Pirates fixed Nova Long-Term? The Pittsburgh Pirates have aced their experiment of fixing Ivan Nova. Ivan Nova threw a complete game, leading the Pirates to a 4-1 win over the Reds on Thursday night. A complete turnaround from his struggles with the Yankees, Nova is now 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in seven starts with the Pirates. Nova’s performance Thursday night saw him allow no walks for the fifth time in seven starts. “It’s just more of what we’ve been seeing from him,” manager Clint Hurdle who earned his 500th career win said of Nova. It was a really nice mix of pitches and pitching. No walks again. It’s the manual there of how you want to get it done in a quick and efficient way. The game last just 2 hours and 28 minutes. Over the past two off-seasons, the Pirates let their reclamationRead More »
Instant Buzz