Notes: Week's Games, Skenes Gets OD Call, Reassignments, Pre-Arbs Sign Quietly, Injuries, Exes In The News

Getting close to crunch time…

Pirates Stuff:

• The first big cut-down took place on Tuesday. RHPs Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows & Chase Shugart along with IFs Tsung-Che Cheng, Liover Peguero & Enmanuel Valdez were optioned to AAA Indy. RHPs Isaac Mattson, Ryder Ryan & Eddie Yean, IF Malcom Nunez and Cs Omar Alfonzo & Aaron McKeithan were sent to minor league camp.
• Paul Skenes agreed to an $875 K MLB salary ($115K above service time minimum) with an Minor League salary of $282,474 in the unlikely event that he ever sees the farm again. The figures were posted by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The Bucs also announced that all 25 of their pre-arb class signed without a fuss. That group includes Skenes, Oneil Cruz, Jared Jones, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis and Spence Horwitz. Alika Williams also inked a contract.

Paul Skenes – 2025 Topps Stars of MLB

• Skenes, not too surprisingly, was named the Pirates Opening Day starter. He’ll be 22 years & 302 days old on March 27 (OD) and the Pirates’ youngest Opening Day starting pitcher since Frank Killen (22 years, five months old) in 1893. Additionally, Paul will become the youngest MLB Opening Day twirler since Miami’s Jose Fernandez in 2014.
• 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes went through some left side tightness and missed playing for 10 days. After a couple of days of full workouts to get back to speed, he was back in the lineup on Saturday.
• OF Josh Palacios rejoined the lineup on Sunday after missing a week with a sore knee. It’s a key camp for him as he’s out of options.
• LHP Bailey Falter has been limited to back field work; he’s said to be suffering from general soreness and his scheduled Thursday spot was scrubbed. Something else to keep an eye on as the spring progresses…
• RHP Hunter Stratton is progressing from his knee surgery and is on track to begin throwing sim games at camp.
• 1B Spencer Horwitz is hitting off a tee and is considered on schedule so far in his return from wrist surgery. He’s a month into a projected 6-8 week recovery program, with a likely rehab visit to Indy to get back up to game speed when he’s cleared medically.
• RHP Dauri Moreta, rehabbing from 2024 TJ surgery, has been throwing side sessions and is expected back in action sometime in June. 
• Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs has his roster of the Pirates Top 38 Prospects

Games:

• The Bucs started the week off under the lights at Bradenton v the Orioles. The Birds took a 6-3 decision, scoring three times off Mitch Keller and adding three more runs off Isaac Mattson. Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had two hits to lead a balanced attack.
• Pittsburgh bopped the Yankees, 9-1, the next day. Paul Skenes started off a string of solid pitching while Oneil Cruz and Billy Cook homered. Ji Hwan Bae had a pair of hustle doubles, scoring twice, and Nick Gonzales also had two hits w/two RBI and a stolen sack.
• Wednesday was an off day, followed by a Thursday trip to meet the Twins. The Bucs were pounded, 15-3. Jared Jones was strong, going into the fifth inning (Jack Carey, David Bednar and Joey Wentz followed and allowed 13 runs) while Matt Gorski and Darick Hall homered.

• The Spring Breakout game was held in Clearwater between the Buccos and Phils prospects on Friday. Bubba Chandler pitched two shutout frames with four K, striking out the side in the second inning while touching 100. But the bats were quiet and the Pirate pups went down, 5-3. The big team tied the Tigers, 8-8, in Bradenton with Jimmy Leyland tossing out the first pitch. Andrew Heaney went four innings, fanning four and giving up four runs (two earned); Peter Strzelecki gave up three more, and Ryan Borucki surrendered a ninth inning lead by serving a solo dinger that knotted the score. Pittsburgh’s O was a 10-batter small-ball attack that netted six fifth-inning runs.
• The Buccaneers won Saturday’s match against Baltimore at LECOM by a 15-5 tally; Henry Davis swatted a grand slam. The Pirates had 13 hits and drew 10 walks. Carmen Mlodzinski & Kyle Nicolas were strong; The Renegade had another tough outing, although his fielders hurt his cause more than Oriole batters did.
• And it was off to Tampa to end the week against the Yankees. Darick Hall made it a good day as his two-run, ninth-inning homer carried the Pirates to a 4-3 dub despite collecting just four hits. Joey Wentz and Isaac Mattson were solid on the hill, each working two shutout frames and fanning four.

MLB Stuff:

• Francys Romero reports that C Yasmani Grandal, 36, turned down an offer from the Braves (terms undisclosed) and will consider retiring w/o deal to his liking .
• RHP Clay Holmes, who converted from reliever to starter with the NYM this spring, was named the Mets’ Opening Day starting pitcher. The Bucs sent him to the Yankees in 2021 for Diego Castillo and Hoy Park.
• As forecast, New York Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole underwent TJ surgery on Tuesday, ending his 2025 season before it began.