Will Pirates treat upcoming homestand as if their season is on the line?

Latest Pirates Buzz In dealing with the Starling Marte suspension and not having Jung Ho Kang for the entire season, Pirates GM Neal Huntington has talked in recent weeks that this group of players doesn’t deserve a tear down of the current roster and waive the white flag on the season. NL CENTRAL 1. MIL 50-41 2. CHI 43-45 (5.5 GB) 3. STL 43-45 (5.5 GB) 4. PIT 42-47 (7 GB) 5. CIN 39-49 (9.5 GB) The proof will be in the next 10 games, starting with a pivotal seven game home-stand Friday night. Fri vs St. Louis | 7:05 p.m. Sat vs St. Louis | 7:05 p.m. Sun vs St. Louis | 1:35 p.m. Mon vs Milwaukee | 7:05

Rumors: Pirates bluffing on desire to keep Andrew McCutchen for 18?

Latest Pirates Rumors The Pittsburgh Pirates are seven games game of first place in a mediocre NL Central where the Chicago Cubs look like they’re never going to become the Cubs of 2016. With Starling Marte set rejoin the team on July 18, the Pirates have signaled to other clubs that their focus leading up to the July 31 deadline is trying to hang around in 17 but they’re eyeing trades with an eye on 2018. The Pirates are certain that no Chris Sale type offer is out there for Gerrit Cole and the team has pre-determined to keep Gerrit Cole for one more season and see how things go in 18 and be more open to addressing his future

Rumors: Pirates sticking with Huntington, Hurdle beyond 17

Huntington, Hurdle back for 2018? A last place ball club and a group with bad fundamentals in key areas, the futures of manager Clint Hurdle and GM Neal Huntington were going to come to the forefront at somepoint this summer with both men in the last guaranteed year of their contracts. An extension for GM Neal Huntington through at least the 2019 season was always Bob Nutting’s intention prior to the season and one will happen. Huntington who could have went to Atlanta and ran their organization after the 2015 season, has always been a loyal soldier. He toes the company line, and does what ownership and Frank Coonelly want when it comes to controversial moves like the Francisco Liriano

Rumors: Josh Harrison off the trade block?

Photo: David Hague Latest Pirates Rumors [hide] Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports released a list this week of 70 impact players who may be traded by the deadline. Among the Pirates, Gerrit Cole came in at No. 4, Andrew McCutchen No. 12, Josh Harrison No. 30 and Tony Watson No. 40. On Cole, Heyman states the obvious in saying teams will be lining up to acquire Cole if the Pirates decide to move him but they are not there yet, while the situation with Andrew McCutchen is pretty clear to anyone. He’s not tradeable right now but McCutchen will be a goner at the deadline if the Pirates can find a suitor. Things are heading down the road with McCutchen

Around the Bases: Will McCutchen’s decline impact Pirates willingness to sell high on Gerrit Cole?

Pirates 6 – Nationals 1 PIT GAME LEADERS Gerrit Cole (W, 2-4)| 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 3K, 2 BB Josh Bell | 1-3, HR, 3 RBI Andrew McCutchen | 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 SB Around the Bases 1. Gerrit Cole is pitching like an All-Star and Neal Huntington’s phone is only going to continue to ring off the hook up until the deadline about Cole. Cole limited the high powered Washington Nationals to three hits over seven innings in a Pirates 6-1 win on Wednesday night. “He had everything working tonight and it was the fifth or sixth inning before we kind of went what happened,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Cole’s performance. Cole’s ERA is now 2.84

Jameson Taillon treated for suspected testicular cancer

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that starting pitcher Jameson Taillon was treated this morning at Allegheny General Hospital for suspected testicular cancer. The Pirates say further testing is required before a charted course is determined. Taillon released a message on twitter moments ago. pic.twitter.com/ZcwEXwfDNz — Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) May 8, 2017 We wish Jameson a speedy and full recovery. [hide] Statement released from Pirates [/hide]

All the Pirates do is win when Tyler Glasnow starts

Pirates 12 – Reds 3 W: T. Glasnow (1-1) L: S. Feldman (1-3) S: W. LeBlanc (1) PIT Record: 12-14 CIN Record: 12-14 PIT Key Performers Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 6.97 ERA)| 6 IP-4H-3ER-5K-4BB Josh Harrison (.310) | 1-4, HR, 3 RBI Alen Hanson | (.240) | 2-3, 3B, SB, 2 R Gift Ngoepe (.455) | 1-2, 2 RBI, R Tyler Glasnow (.200) | 1-2, 3 RBI All the Pirates do is win when Tyler Glasnow starts. The Pirates improving to 4-1 this season when Glasnow starts, despite the rookie having a 6.97 ERA on the season, won a game by nine runs tonight when they fell behind 3-0 after a Joey Votto home run three batters into Glasnow’s night. It

Rumors: Pirates were willing to move Gerrit Cole last season?

Latest Pirates Rumors A Scott Boras client, the clock has always been ticking on Gerrit Cole in a Pirates uniform. Has the unlikelihood of being a contender in 2017 to go with Jameson Taillon’s ascend and Ivan Nova giving the Pirates top of the rotation results, moved the timetable to trade Cole up? [hide] The whispers are starting to emerge. ESPN’s Buster Olney names Gerrit Cole as one of the big name pitchers who could be dealt at the trade deadline if the Pirates are out of the race. The reason for that isn’t just the obvious that Cole will hit free agency after the 2019 season. Olney notes “some teams thought Pittsburgh was prepared to listen last year” on

Latest Pirates Buzz: Seats getting Hotter for Hurdle, Huntington?

Latest Pirates Buzz The Pittsburgh Pirates are a ball club at a cross-roads already in a young season that’s only 2 games in. The starting rotation has been a surprising strength as they boast the 2nd best quality start percentage in baseball, yet, they sit 4 games under .500 with an 8-12 record. The Pirates are missing two key cogs in Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang because of stupidity from both that gives the Pirates a built in excuse already for not contending in 2017 but why is this team such a bad fundamentally sound ball club and whose shoulders does it eventually fall on? They can’t field and it’s a bad group running the bases. This is an atrocious

What Now for the Pirates?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been dealt a significant blow as Major League Baseball announced an 80-game suspension for Pirates center fielder Starling Marte. Marte tested positive for Nandrolone. He is hitting .241 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI. The team already without Jung Ho Kang for the foreseeable future due to off-field issues, now has to battle through without Marte for 80 games in what is pretty much a lost season for Marte as the 28 year old will be ineligible for the postseason if the Pirates make it. Marte gave a usual ‘I didn’t know’ what I was taking in a released statement. “In this very difficult moment I apologize to my family, the Pittsburgh Pirates, my teammates,