Former Pirates pitcher Steven Brault announces retirement

Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and known-singer Steven Brault announced his retirement from in-game action Monday afternoon.

Brault was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but was acquired by the Pirates in the Travis Snider trade. He spent six seasons with the Pirates, posting a 12-18 record and 4.77 ERA in 107 games. He made his debut July 5, 2016 against the St. Louis Cardinals and struck out five hitters in four innings while giving up one run.

After the Pirates designated him for assignment following the 2021 season, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs in March 2022 and appeared in nine games out of the bullpen before an injury sidelined him from August on.

In 2023, Brault joined former teammate Dovydas Neverauskas in the Atlantic League, signing with the Spire City GhostHounds as an outfielder. He appeared in 58 games and hit .283 with seven home runs and 27 RBI.

This isn’t the first time Pirates fans knew about Brault’s ability to hit, though...

Brault’s stock within the Pirates organization grew after he started the 2015 season hot with Bradenton, going 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA in 14 games. He continued to improve with Double-A Altoona, going 9-3 with a 2.00 ERA in his final 15 appearances on the year.

Unfortunately, his success didn’t translate to the majors, but he did leave an audible mark on Pittsburgh with a stellar rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner in 2018.

Brault did not specify what comes next in his post, but he indicated that he wants to continue working in baseball.