Pirates Share Big Hopes for Local Star Kyler Fedko
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates aren't making big signings in September, but they did add a player who starred in the area.
The Pirates signed outfielder Kyler Fedko, a Pittsburgh native, to a minor-league contract on Sept. 4 and then assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Fedko grew up in the Pittsburgh area in Gibsonia, Pa., and excelled at the now-closed Vincentian Academy in McCandless, Pa., 2015-18, before playing for UConn and then the Minnesota Twins.
It's a peculiar signing for the Pirates, but one they can benefit from in many ways if Fedko comes through on his potential.
Pirates GM Tells Why They Signed Fedko
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke about why they signed Fedko on the latest edition of The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan.
Cherington said they signed Fedko after the Twins released him, as he is currently on the full season injured list and injured players don't go on waivers.
He also said that while having the local connection is nice, they signed him for what he can do on the field and they believe he can help the Pirates in the future.
“Well, he’s got skills," Cherington said. "He’s been a strong performer in Triple-A. He can do a lot of different things on the field. Base running, some power, defense, great kid.
"Situation where the Pirates have been in the same situation in the past, but a situation where the Twins needed a roster spot. He was hurt. You can’t put a hurt player, at that time, you can’t put a hurt player through waivers. So if you want to remove them, the only way you can do that is to release them, and that’s what they did. They obviously felt they needed the roster spot.
"So he becomes a free agent, where normally, a player like that goes on waivers if you’re taking them up, but he’s hurt, so he can’t do that, so he becomes a free agent.
"We’re talking to him; other teams are talking to him. I don’t know; the local connection obviously is cool, and that will be an added layer if he comes and helps us win games in Pittsburgh. That’ll be frosting on it, but we are interested in him is not because of that is because we really like the skills, think he’s a good player..."
When Will Fedko Play for the Pirates?
Fedko was one of the best players in Pennsylvania at Vincentian, leading to two PIAA titles in 2016 and 2018, and is the son of former WPXI (Channel 11) sports director and anchor, John Fedko, who hosted the Fedko Fone Zone.
He played for three years at UConn, 2019-21, earning All-American and top Big East honors, before the Twins selected him in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Fedko has had success in the minor leagues, including hitting .274/.362/.545 for an OPS of .907 in 75 games with Triple-A St. Paul, including 17 home runs, but struggled with the Twins, with no hits in 19 plate appearances in his month spent with the team from June 10 to July 15.
Cherington said that Fedko, who is out with a serious knee injury, suffering a torn ACL, MCL and LCL, will keep him out until the latter part of next season before he's playing again.
“...Our hope is that we can see that through with him and then keep him in the organization after that further. We think this is a player who can contribute at some point, but he’s got a pretty good recovery still to go now.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.