Pirates News: Former Dodgers pitcher signed, Ji Hwan Bae, Opening Day broadcast

The Pittsburgh Pirates made another move to replenish their pitching depth and signed right-hander Noah Davis to a minor league contract earlier this week, as reflected on Davis’ MLB.com profile page. The 28-year-old elected minor league free agency in October after multiple outright assignments and not being added back to the Minnesota Twins' 40-man roster following a September outright.

Davis has appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons, though sparingly, compiling a 9.53 ERA across 27 games and 62 1/3 innings between the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Twins. Home runs have been his undoing, as he’s surrendered 17 of them at the big-league level — including seven in just 11 innings during the 2025 season.

Now entering his age-29 campaign, Davis showed some promise after shifting almost exclusively to a relief role last year, posting a 3.88 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate over 48 2/3 Triple-A innings. While that hasn’t translated to MLB success yet, Pittsburgh is betting its pitching development group — and new pitching coach Bill Murphy — can help unlock late-blooming upside in spring training.

Pirates News: Mets outright former Pittsburgh prospect Ji Hwan Bae

The New York Mets announced last week that former Pirate Ji Hwan Bae has been sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse after clearing waivers. Bae never appeared in a game for the Mets after being claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh in November, presumably with hopes of sneaking him through later as non-roster depth.

Once a notable Pirates prospect, Bae carved out a role in Pittsburgh as a speed-and-versatility piece, appearing at both middle infield spots and all three outfield positions. The offensive production never translated at the MLB level, however. In 514 plate appearances with the Bucs over four seasons, Bae hit .223/.294/.293, though he did swipe 37 bases. His minor-league résumé tells a different story, with a .306/.390/.451 line and 126 wRC+ across 1,152 plate appearances from 2022–25.

Now off New York's 40-man roster, Bae becomes a low-risk depth option for the Mets with an option remaining and less than two years of service time. For Pirates fans, it’s another reminder of the gap between Bae’s promise in the system and the production that never quite arrived in Pittsburgh.

Pirates News: Pittsburgh's Opening Day game vs Mets to feature on national broadcast

NBC’s return to Major League Baseball will put the Pirates squarely in the national spotlight on Opening Day.

The network announced an Opening Day doubleheader on March 26, headlined by reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes and the Pirates taking on Juan Soto and the Mets at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The nightcap will feature the two-time defending champion Dodgers hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For a franchise that rarely finds itself on a national stage — especially on Opening Day — the Pirates’ inclusion is notable. It’s a clear signal of Skenes’ star power and a rare moment of national visibility for Pittsburgh, opening the season not as an afterthought, but as the main attraction.