Author Archives: Michael

Termarr, Or Not Termarr

3-13-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X It’s official. Termarr Johnson will NOT start the season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Most reasonable fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates had no expectations that Johnson would not just make the 40-man roster but also leapfrog himself right onto the 26-man with zero at-bats above A+ ball. He’s very talentedContinue reading “Termarr, Or Not Termarr”

5 Takeaways From Spring Training

3-12-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X We’ve seen some extreme highs and lows (mostly lows) for the Pirates over the years but, in Spring Training, anything is possible. The team currently LEADS all of MLB in home runs (31) after finishing 28th over the 2023 season (159). The old cliches and platitudes are present,Continue reading “5 Takeaways From Spring Training”

O Captain! My Captain!

3-1-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X There is a new “Pirate Generation” arriving soon in Pittsburgh. We’ve SEEN it now! Or, after yesterday’s game, at least heard it. Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo and Jackson Wolf will soon join the ranks of Quinn Priester, Liover Peguero, Jared Triolo andContinue reading “O Captain! My Captain!”

Important Numbers For Pittsburgh Pirates

2-21-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X I just finished up the busiest time of the year for me (top 30 prospects episodes – check them out if you haven’t already) and now I’m ready to jump back into writing some articles on my beloved Buccos. Ahead of last season, I did preview piecesContinue reading “Important Numbers For Pittsburgh Pirates”

Bullpen Full of Bullets

1-25-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X Relievers are a “dime a dozen.” You’ve heard it. We’ve heard it. It’s a volatile role which has a lot of turnover. That said, strong bullpens have led the winning charge for Pirates teams during the 2013-15 playoff runs.  Recent losing years have included some rough namesContinue reading “Bullpen Full of Bullets”

Prayers for Priester

1-16-24 – By Michael Castrignano– @412DoublePlay on X As the Pittsburgh Pirates headed into an off-season with heightened expectations, a key need for this team was clearly starting pitching. It makes sense as the team DESPERATELY needed arms in the rotation over the last two months of the season. Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo tookContinue reading “Prayers for Priester”

How Deep Is Our Infield

1-10-23 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X Last week, I looked at the outfield, breaking down the myriad of options and illustrating the options and difficulties at filling the three positions (four, counting bench player) on the grass. This week, we’re looking at the 5 guys around the diamond and how that expectsContinue reading “How Deep Is Our Infield”

Outfield Breakdown: 2024 Edition

1-1-24 – By Michael Castrignano –@412DoublePlay on X Last year, I wrote a piece dissecting the options in the outfield. This year, I’ve decided to dig even deeper into the current options for the 26-man, 40-man and depth beyond. There’s a congestion that has emerged among our outfield options with some internal options – asContinue reading “Outfield Breakdown: 2024 Edition”

Cutch Returns: What He Brings to the Team and Expectations for 2024

It has been an open secret that Andrew Stefan McCutchen would be returning to Pittsburgh for the 2024 season, potentially his last before riding off into the sunset for retirement (or maybe not). News officially dropped yesterday that Cutch was returning on a 1-year, $5 million deal and, after a year in which the 2013Continue reading “Cutch Returns: What He Brings to the Team and Expectations for 2024”