When A.J. Burnett arrived in Pittsburgh in 2012, he brought with him a big league attitude, instilling confidence in a young Pirates pitching staff and fueling a turnaround that led to a brief resurgence in the Bucs’ fortunes. Starting today, Burnett will be back in Bradenton at the invitation of manager Donnie Kelly. He’s being brought in to observe the talented young arms at work and mentor them about what it takes to be a big leaguer.
Burnett played three of his 17 years in the majors in Pittsburgh, in 2012, 2013, and after a year in Philadelphia, in 2015. He was 35-28 in a Pirates uniform with a 2.34 ERA.
The Pirates have made another move to help their young pitching staff this weekend, promoting Cibney Bello from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh to serve as an assistant pitching coach. He replaces Thomas Whitsett, who was hired for the position in December but had to resign for personal reasons. Whitsett had worked with new Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy in the Astros organization and was set to begin his first season on a major league staff.
Bello is 43 years old and from Venezuela. He’d been in Indianapolis for two years.
