(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Urquidy throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 17, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — José Urquidy and the Pittsburgh Pirates finalized their $1.5 million, one-year contract on Wednesday.

The sides agreed to terms last week, subject to a successful physical.

A 30-year-old right-hander, Urquidy adds depth to a Pirates pitching staff headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and gives the team roster flexibility because he can be optioned to the minor leagues.

Urquidy had Tommy John surgery on June 5, 2024, while with Houston. He signed a $1 million, one-year deal with Detroit last March and returned to the majors on Sept. 14. He made two big league relief appearances and had a 7.71 ERA over 2 1/3 innings.

A six-year major league veteran, Urquidy is 27-16 with a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Astros (2019-23) and Tigers. He was on the injured list with a forearm strain in 2024 before having surgery.

Urquidy has a 4.08 ERA in 15 postseason appearances, including eight starts.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen watches his RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 22, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Tuesday the team “will never shut the door” on potentially finding a role for Andrew McCutchen, a longtime cornerstone of the franchise.

The Pirates on Monday reached an agreement with veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna on a one-year contract worth $12 million, subject to Ozuna passing a physical. The deal would make it more unlikely McCutchen, who is unsigned, would be needed on the Pirates’ roster. Ozuna would assume the designated hitter role, which was McCutchen’s primary spot in 2025.

The 39-year-old McCutchen is a five-time All-Star and the 2013 NL MVP. He has played 12 of his 17 seasons in the majors with the Pirates.

Cherington said he believes McCutchen “will always be a Pirate.”

“I think most people feel that way. I certainly speak for the organization and that’s how we feel,” Cherington said.

Even though it appears more unlikely there will be a spot for McCutchen on the roster following the agreement with Ozuna, Cherington said “forever is a long time” and he would not rule out an agreement with McCutchen, who hit .239 with 13 homers last season.

“I think this is a moment in time,” Cherington said. “And I think there’s a long time ahead of us. … I don’t think you ever — the Pirates will never shut the door, completely shut the door, on Andrew McCutchen. That’s just how we feel about him. That’s not going to happen.”

Even so, Cherington said the start of spring training in Florida means the Pirates are “focused on the players that are here, focused on how do we get ready for the 2026 season? … You know longer term, you know we don’t need to make any declaration about the longer term. Just focus on today right now.”

Pirates manager Don Kelly said McCutchen “is always going to be a Pirate in everyone’s heart” and said, as a former teammate, “you respect him and everything that he means to the team and the city.”

Cherington said he hopes to protect the team’s relationship with McCutchen.

“No matter what, Andrew’s a Pirate and certainly our desire will be to continue to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that looks like.”

Cherington said his priority has been to make personnel decisions that put the team “in the best position to win more games in 2026.”

“I feel confident that every decision we’ve made has been about what we believe is best for the team,” he said. “Sometimes when you are making those decisions, they’re going to be hard. You know, some of those decisions are hard. And I think that, again, that’s the nature of these things. Tremendous respect for Andrew. And certainly our desire would be to have a strong relationship with him going forward.”

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Acrisure Stadium)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release from Acrisure Stadium, Monster Jam®, the hit monster truck stunt spectacular, will return to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on June 20th, 2026 at 5 p.m. The general public can buy tickets starting on Tuesday, February 17th on Ticketmaster.com. 12,000-pound trucks that are handled by the world’s best drivers will compete for the Event Championship in the Freestyle, Racing, and Skills Events. The Pit Party, which has both family-friendly activities like taking pictures with the trucks and Monster Jam ® drivers signing autographs will also be prior to the event on Saturday, June 20th from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pitt Head Coach Tory Verdi speaks during a ACC women’s NCAA college basketball media day, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, ,File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Six former players on the women’s basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh have sued coach Tory Verdi and the school over what they call abusive coaching methods and say their efforts to seek help were ignored. Verdi, according to the lawsuit filed Friday, also tried to force players into the transfer portal, putting their scholarships at risk and threatening their academic and athletic futures. Pitt denied the allegations in a brief statement issued yesterday on behalf of both Verdi and the school. The statement said: “The university is aware of these lawsuits and their allegations, which are without merit and will be vigorously defended.” The former players that sued both Verdi and Pitt include Favor Ayodele of Spain, who is now at Grand Canyon University, Raeven Boswell, who left the team but stayed at Pitt to finish her degree, Isabella Perkins, who is now a student at Boston College, Jasmine Timmerson, who is now playing for Davidson College, and MaKayla Elmore and Brooklynn Miles, who had transferred to Pitt for their senior years of college.  The women seek an acknowledgment that the school violated their civil rights under Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in education, along with the restoration of their school records and reputations, and compensatory and punitive damages. Verdi has struggled over three seasons at Pitt after notching a winning record in seven seasons at the University of Massachusetts.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) leaves the field after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still pondering his future for the 2026 NFL season, which will be his 22nd season if he plays. It seems like the chances are increasing that Rodgers could play, and that will be a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Steelers fans. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy spoke last week to KDKA’s Bob Pompeani, who asked McCarthy about Rodgers playing again, and McCarthy said: “That’s the plan.” According to several national outlets including the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Rodgers has told some of his closest friends that he feels refreshed and really appreciated his year with the Steelers. Pelissero stated that the plan is for Rodgers to take a little bit more time with his decision, and it will probably come prior to the start of NFL free agency in the middle of March. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of KDKA-TV, CBS Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on February 10th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Palm Beach Gardens, FL) Central Catholic High School alumnus and golfer Neal Shipley made the first hole-in-one ever in the history of TGL, which is a high-tech professional golf league based out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida that is held indoors at the Sofi Center. Shipley was competing for the Bay Golf Club in their match last night against Los Angeles Golf Club and whacked his golf ball with a wedge into a screen on a 110-yard par 3 and back-spinned it into the hole. Shipley finished as the runner up at the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2023 and earned a spot to compete in the Masters tournament in 2024. Shipley was bounced into the limelight in his debut at that tournament, because he earned its low amateur honor and golfed along Tiger Woods in the final round of the 2024 Masters.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sept. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, file)

(PITTSBURGH, PA – AP) Veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna is heading to Pittsburgh.

The 35-year-old free agent has reached an agreement with the Pirates on a one-year deal worth $12 million, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending Ozuna passing a physical.

Ozuna would give the Pirates another experienced bat to potentially boost a lineup that was among the worst in the majors in 2025. The right-handed Ozuna hit .232 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs last season for Atlanta.

Pittsburgh previously acquired All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and signed All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn during an unusually busy offseason for the club as it tries to give a young pitching staff anchored by reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes some help.

Ozuna’s arrival could mean Pittsburgh is moving on from longtime franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen. The 39-year-old, five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP, who has spent 12 of his 17 seasons in the majors with the Pirates, remains unsigned after hitting .239 with 13 homers while serving primarily as the club’s designated hitter.

Ozuna is a three-time All-Star himself and a career .269 hitter in 13 seasons with Miami, St. Louis and Atlanta. The native of the Dominican Republic has batted over .300 three times, most recently in 2024.

One of the few places where Ozuna has struggled is PNC Park, his potential new home. Ozuna is a career .225 hitter with just one home run in 36 games at the ballpark that has been historically difficult for right-handed hitters.

The Pirates are banking on Ozuna figuring it out to give a left-handed dominant lineup a little balance. Lowe, O’Hearn and outfielder Oneil Cruz are lefties. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds is a switch-hitter.

The Pirates begin spring training when pitchers and catchers report to their complex in Bradenton, Florida, later this week.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Canada forward Gavin McKenna (9) controls the puck during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game against Finland, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn, File)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped the most serious assault charge against Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, considered a likely top pick in this year’s NHL draft, but he remains accused of less serious offenses.

The Centre County prosecutor said Friday that aggravated assault would have required proof McKenna acted with the intention of causing serious injury or that he showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life. McKenna was accused of injuring a man during an altercation last weekend.

Although the police complaint alleged the victim sustained injuries to both sides of his jaw and was missing a tooth as a result, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said subsequent investigation showed there were two fractures to the same side of his jaw and that no teeth were knocked out. He is recovering from surgery, Cantorna said.

Canadian McKenna, 18, is a freshman center from Whitehorse, Yukon. A phone message seeking comment was left late Friday for McKenna’s lawyer, Jason Dunkle. The incident occurred hours after Penn State lost to No. 2 Michigan State in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium.

Cantorna said video evidence led him and police to drop the felony charge.

McKenna remains charged with misdemeanor simple assault, along with harassment and disorderly conduct. Cantorna said the preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for March 11.

McKenna decided to play for Penn State after the NCAA lifted its ban on Canadian Hockey League players competing at the Division I level. A name, image and likeness deal with the Nittany Lions helped draw McKenna to join the program.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Christinne Muschi/AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was selected as the captain of Team Canada’s men’s ice hockey team at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games yesterday morning. This is the second time that Crosby has been the men’s ice hockey team captain for Team Canada. He was a captain back in 2014 and won gold medals in 2014 and 2010. The men’s ice hockey team for Team Canada will take on Czechia on Thursday at 10:40 a.m. for their first match of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Urquidy throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 17, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

(PITTSBURGH – AP) Pitcher José Urquidy and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed Thursday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

A 30-year-old right-hander, Urquidy adds depth to the Pirates staff headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and gives the team roster flexibility because he can be optioned to the minor leagues.

Urquidy had Tommy John surgery on June 5, 2024, while with Houston, signed a $1 million, one-year deal with Detroit last March and returned to the major leagues on Sept. 14. He made two big league relief appearances last year and had a 7.71 ERA over 2 1/3 innings.

A six-year major league veteran, Urquidy is 27-16 with a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Astros (2019-23) and Tigers. He was on the injured list with a forearm strain in 2024 before having surgery.

Urquidy has a 4.08 ERA in 15 postseason appearances, including eight starts.