Weekly Notes: Skenes OD Pitcher, Moves Made, Jones Has Arm Pain, Bucco Bucks, Team Stuff, Games & Ex-Pirates In The Shuffle

It’s almost time…

Pirates Stuff:

• More moves: the club added RHP Hunter Stratton to the 40-man roster and DFA’ed OF Joshua Palacios. They also optioned RHP Kyle Nicolas, C Henry Davis, IF Nick Yorke, and OF Billy Cook to Indy. It clears up one logjam as Endy Rodriguez will back up Joey Bart and be in the 1B mix.
• Moves: C Jason Delay was optioned to AAA Indy. IFs Darick Hall, Nick Solak & Alika Williams, C Abrahan Gutierrez, 1B/OF Matt Gorski, OF Bryce Johnson, and RHP Yohan Ramírez were reassigned to minor league camp. Gorski in particular was having a sizzling spring, hitting .375 with team-highs four HR & 13 RBI but K’s were an issue.
• Hoo boy: Jared Jones experienced elbow discomfort after his bullpen earlier this week and will miss his next spring start. The cause of the pain and whether it’s going to need some rest/IL time is yet to be determined.

Jared Jones – 2025 Pirates photo

• RHP Bubba Chandler was named to MLB Pipeline’s All-Spring Breakout team after the struck out four batters in two innings in the Bucs match.
• Mark Belko of the Post-Gazette took a look at an evergreen, Pirates finances. So did Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports. His take is the money drain is real but the team needs to be open with its fans.
• The Paul Skenes 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card sold at auction for $1,110,000. Of all active MLB players, only Mike Trout has ever had a card go for more. DICK’s Sporting Goods was the winning bidder and it will put it on display at its House of Sport store in Ross Park in its collectors corner. BTW, that’s the same card the Pirates offered season tickets and a goodies grab bag for after its release.
• SportsNet Pittsburgh will broadcast 20 Altoona Curve home games this season.

Games: 

• Split squad day: Paul Skenes faced the Minnesota Twins at LECOM Park while Bailey Falter went against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. Skenes dodged some bullets in his 4-2/3 IP. He gave up five hits and walked three, but seven whiffs limited the damage in a 4-2 win over Minnesota. Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Joey Bart homered. Falter struggled, giving up three runs, as did the rest of the staff, in a 9-6 loss to Motown.
• Next up was the Phils at LECOM. Thomas Harrington was strong, giving up a run on a solo shot (Philly’s only hit) while fanning three in 3-2/3IP. The Bucs won in the last at bat when 21-year-old A+ Greensboro IF Javier Rivas homered with two outs to cap a three-run ninth and claim a 3-2 win.
• Pittsburgh traveled to Port Charlotte to take on Tampa Bay Wednesday. Andrew Heaney was rough again, giving up a three-spot in four frames; Tim Mayza gave up the other pair in an inning of work. Henry Davis, Jack Suwinski and Ji-Hwan Bae each had a pair of knocks as the spring battles to go north are getting real.
• After a Thursday off date, Mitch Keller and the boys were off to Jet Blue Park to take on the BoSox. Kells went three scoreless, fanning five, as the Bucs dropped a 2-1 decision.

Pirates Image

• The last home game of the Grapefruit League featured the Pirates and the O’s with Bob Walk throwing the first pitch and Skenes getting his last spring start. Paul went 3-1/3 IP with no runs, a hit, a walk and four K; guess he’s ready. It didn’t help as the Corsairs were no-hit in a 4-0 loss.
• Bailey Falter got the Sunday call against Toronto at TD Ballpark in Dunedin. The pitching was willing but again the hitting was weak in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
• On Monday, the preseason will end at Fort Myers vs the Twins with Thomas Harrington tossing. He’s replacing Andrew Heaney in what seems like a last look for Jared Jone’s rotation spot.
• The Pirates open the season at Miami on Thursday, with Skenes taking on Sandy Alcantara in a primo match-up. And who else but Pittsburgh and Miami’s Dan Marino will throw out the first pitch. 

MLB Stuff: 

• LHP Angel Perdomo, who got into 30 games for the Bucs in 2023 (3-2/3.72) before having TJ surgery and being released, was dealt from the Braves (he was claimed by Atlanta and then carried on the IL in ’24) to the Angels.
• OF Bill McKinney, who has spent the past seven seasons with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers, Athletics and Pirates (.200 in 10 games last year; he spent most of the summer at Indy), signed a minor-league deal with the Mets.
• The Red Sox optioned RHP Quinn Priester, traded for Nick Yorke last year, to minor league camp. He was in a battle for the fifth rotation spot.
• RHP Jesse Chavez, 43, was released by the Rangers. He has 17 years in the league, beginning with the Bucs in 2008-09.  The Astros released ex-Pirates OF Ben Gamel and LHP Jalen Beeks while the Royals set C Luke Maile, who spent 2020 on the Pgh. IL, free. The gang became free agents.