Pirates Manager Brings In Retired All-Star Pitcher As Spring Training Mentor

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff rode an MLB-best 19 shutouts in 2025 to finish with the third-lowest team ERA in the National League at 3.76.

Backed by NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh’s starting rotation is expected to be a strength again in 2026.

Manager Don Kelly is bringing in former All-Star right-hander A.J. Burnett to help the staff get ready for the new season, as the 49-year-old is expected to be at Spring Training from Sunday to Wednesday or Thursday, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“While at camp, he’ll watch workouts and can be a mentor to a young Pirates team, sharing his experience,” Beazley wrote on Saturday. “The most interesting part of it was how it came about. The now-49-year-old Burnett was invited to camp by manager Don Kelly, potentially a sign of how Kelly intends to both run spring training and connect the current Pirates with the previous generation.”

Burnett spent three of his final four big league seasons with the Pirates in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

The one-time World Series champion helped lead Pittsburgh to the postseason in 2013 and 2015, the latter of which was the last time the Pirates made the playoffs.

Burnett earned the only All-Star honor of his career in 2015 with Pittsburgh, going 9-7 with a career-best 3.18 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while recording 143 strikeouts across 164 innings pitched covering 26 starts.

More MLB: Newly Acquired Outfielder Dishes On Fit With Pirates

The post Pirates Manager Brings In Retired All-Star Pitcher As Spring Training Mentor appeared first on SportsNet Pittsburgh.