Buccos Cove

Injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued Gregory Polanco over the last couple of years and have caused headaches for the Pirates. In the final year of his contract, he is looking to put together a strong season to help both himself and the team in what should be his final season with the team. Since he made his Major League debut back in 2014, Gregory Polanco has come with his fair share of ups and downs. From mashing 23 home runs during the 2018 season to his lackadaisical outfield play at times, Polanco has had his share of praise and criticism. After undergoing shoulder surgery in 2018, Polanco just hasn't been the same player, hitting under the .250 mark in each of those seasons. Polanco is currently the highest-paid player on the team, being owed 11 million dollars in 2021, and is on the final year of his contract. However, after a down year in 2020, Polanco has left a sour taste in the mouths of Pirates fans and is trying to make amends in his final season. He ap...

Last season, Jared Oliva made his Major League Debut for the Pirates over the final week of the 2020 regular season. While he will most likely be in Triple-A to start the season, Oliva is carving his path back to the Big Leagues in 2021. 2020 was an interesting year not just because of the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, but in terms of player development as well. Several players who have not seen time above the Double-A level were making their Big League debuts across the league. As you can bet there was a mixture of results, with some performing well while others showed they just weren't ready for the Big Leagues. The Pirates had a couple of guys do this, but the very last to make the jump from Double-A to the Big Leagues was outfielder Jared Oliva. Olivia was called up to the Big Leagues on September 21st, 2020, and played in every game from then to the end of the season. Offensively, Oliva never really got going hitting just .188 with a stolen base over 16 a...

The time is finally here as the Pittsburgh Pirates kick-off the 2021 Grapefruit League schedule when they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 pm. Here is what to expect as the team embarks on its 2021 Spring Training schedule. The full squad is in camp, and now it is time to start warming up for the grind of the 2021 season. The Pittsburgh Pirates kick-off their 2021 Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 pm. It is the first chance for the Pirates to play someone in a different jersey, and even though it is just a warm-up it is the first signs that baseball is truly back. For the veterans, it is a chance to tune things up before the season, and for the young guys, it is a chance to prove what they have against Big League competition. With 71 players in camp between the 40-man roster and non-roster invitees and no split-squad games this year, there will be a lot of competition for playing time in camp. Competition is a...

Former top prospect Anthony Alford came to the Pirates halfway through the 2020 season and had some big hits before he fractured his elbow. Now, he is out to win the starting centerfield job in 2021 and prove he can be an everyday player and live up to his former top prospect status. During the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were lacking outfield depth and in serious need for reinforcements. Top prospects Jared Oliva and Travis Swaggerty were both at the Pirates alternate training site, but neither had played above Double-A ball, and the Pirates did not want to rush their development. In an effort to grab some outfield depth, the Pirates ended up claiming Anthony Alford off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Alford was a former top prospect in the Blue Jays system but never got the full-time shot at the Major League level. He was drafted in the third round of the 2012 MLB draft, just after Pirates General Manager, Ben Cherington left the Blue Jays. Unfortunately, it w...

With the first full week of Spring Training in full swing, the Pittsburgh Pirates have their whole team together once again. With the future on their mind, the team is looking to establish a new culture in Pittsburgh as they build towards becoming a winning club. After a season where the team finished 19-41, the Pittsburgh Pirates can finally move forward as the full squad reported to Spring Training on Monday. With camp in full swing, the 2021 Pirates have a different look with some new faces in camp as well as some of the young prospects who look to make up the future of this team. Guys like Josh Bell, Joe Musgrove, and Jameson Taillon are replaced by Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, and Cody Bolton, all looking to show what they have to the Big League coaching staff. With so many new guys in camp, now is the time to change the culture of the Pirates from that of an organization that is used to losing to one that is ready to build for the future. That means implementing a s...

Cole Tucker has bounced around the Pirates since making his debut in 2019 but hasn't yet shown sustained success. 2021 is a big season as the former first-round pick looks to prove he belongs in the Major Leagues. On April 20th, 2019, 22-year-old infielder Cole Tucker, a first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, made his Major League debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After spending the previous five seasons in the Minor Leagues, Tucker was ready to come up and officially make his mark on the Major League club. His first MLB game was shortened due to rain, but Tucker made his impact felt, going 1-3, but that one hit was a two-run home run that would give the Pirates a 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Things looked to be heading in the right direction for Tucker as he picked up a hit in his first three games, and was batting .300 through his first 10 at-bats. However, that hot bat would not stay, as he managed to hit just .211 with two home runs and 13 RBI in that fir...

On Wednesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates continued to add to their outfield depth, acquiring Dustin Fowler from the Oakland Athletics for cash. Fowler brings more depth and a left-handed bat to the Pirate's outfield mix. Last season, the position that lacked the most Major League depth for the Pirates was their outfield. It got so bad that when Gregory Polanco went down with COVID-19 at the beginning of last season, the Pirates had to convert Cole Tucker to the outfield to pick up the slack. It was an experiment that clearly did not work, and Ben Cherington learned from that mistake. He has brought in a slew of outfielders this off-season to provide depth at the position, including Troy Stokes Jr. and Brian Goodwin. However, that wasn't enough for the Pirates General Manager as he made another move for an outfielder Thursday evening that adds some more competition to Big League camp. The Pirates were able to acquire 26-year-old outfielder Dustin Fowler from the Oa...

It has been a tale of two seasons at the Major League Level for Kevin Newman after coming on strong his rookie year and fading out last season. Newman is looking for a bounce-back in 2021 as he tries to claim the starting shortstop job. Over the last two seasons, Kevin Newman has gone from infield prospect to starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won the job during the 2019 season when he hit .308 as a rookie with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. He was in the running for the rookie of the year award that season, and although he didn't win the job out of Spring Training, he sure showed he could handle the everyday duties. Heading into the 2020 season, the Pirates had no question that Kevin Newman was going to be their guy at shortstop and in the leadoff spot in the Batting Order. However, things didn't go the way Newman wanted as he entered his second full Big League season. It was a year of struggles for a lot of players around the league, and Kevin Newman join...

With the Pittsburgh Pirates full squad reporting to Spring Training on Monday, there is a lot of competition to go around between the young guys. However, there are some positions that are set as Manager Derek Shelton enters year two as Pirates manager. The 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be more about individual growth rather than team success. They are projected to be one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, but they have a slew of young guys who are looking to develop into the future of the team. This creates a lot of competition in Spring Training and some excitement as the team continues to look to the future, and being competitive for a long time. However, in and amongst these string of competitions you also like there to be some spots that are pretty much locked down. On Monday, Manager Derek Shelton announced the positions that are already locked down for the 2021 season. The players who already know their roles are Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B), Jacob Stalli...

2020 was a break-out year in the power department for Colin Moran, as he proved he could consistently hit the ball over the wall. He was the only double-digit home run guy for the Pirates last year and is looking to become a true power threat in 2021. Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were a team desperate for offense, and that included a lack of power. They tied for 27th in the league in home runs (59) and tied for 28th in the league in doubles (79). Coupled together, that is a recipe for not scoring many runs, and that is exactly what happened as the Pirates ranked dead last in the league with 219 runs scored, five runs fewer than the next closest team. If the Pirates are going to improve from their .316 winning percentage last season, they are going to have to find a way to score more runs in 2021. To do it, they are going to rely on a man who had a breakout season in terms of run production a year ago. Colin Moran has always shown power potential in the Minor Leagues ...

Over the Pittsburgh Pirates' long and storied history, there have been many great players to play for the Pirates. Today, we look at the best Pittsburgh Pirates players to come from the Steel City. There have been many great players to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the team's 139-year history as an organization. Guys like Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, and Babe Adams have all worn the Black and Gold and represented the city with pride. While the city takes pride in these great players, that pride booms, even more, when a player on the team was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Overall, the Steel City has produced over 130 MLB players, but only a select few have got the opportunity to play for their hometown team. Some have only made it a couple of games in Black and Gold, while others centered their entire career around being a Pittsburgh Pirate. Today, we are taking a look at some of the best Pittsburgh natives to play in a Pirates uniform. Our list spans e...

Probably the most exciting player on the Pirates roster, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is entering his first full season of MLB baseball in 2021. He is looking to rise to star status and become the face of the franchise this season. After much anticipation, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally called up star infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes on September 1st, 2020. Hayes came to the Big Leagues with a lot of fanfare and some high expectations placed on the 23-year-old's shoulders. However, he met those expectations head-on and impressed over his first 24 games in the Big Leagues. He hit .376 with five home runs and 11 RBI spanning 85 Big League at-bats and was one of the most clutch hitters on the Pirates team. With the Pirates looking towards the future, Hayes is one of the guys in the here and now that fans can get excited about, as he leads the team and is looking to become the face of the franchise. When he came up to the Big Leagues last season, there was no question about...

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have invited infielder Hunter Owen to Big League Spring Training. Owen has shown power throughout his career and is looking to impress the Big League staff in his first Spring Training. The Pittsburgh Pirates infield group just got a little bit bigger as another infielder has been invited to Big League Spring Training. After it was announced the Pirates had come to terms on a Minor League deal with Todd Frazier, the team announced on Sunday that they have invited IF/OF Hunter Owen to Spring Training. Owen has spent the last five seasons in the Pirates organization and has developed into a power-hitting threat after posting double-digit home runs in each of the last three Minor League seasons. He spent last season at the Pirates Alternate Training site and is primed to make his Big League debut at some point in 2021. Owen has appeared in each of the last three Spring Training with the Pirates but is joining the Big League...

Erik Gonzalez has had a roller coaster journey since joining the Pirates prior to the 2019 season. After a broken collar bone and a shortened season, Gonzalez is looking to show that he can be an everyday contributor while helping the young players as they begin their journey into Major League Baseball. The 2020 season was supposed to be the year that Erik Gonzalez proved himself to the Pirates after coming over in a trade with the Cleveland Indians. Gonzalez won the starting shortstop job in Spring Training 2019, but a broken collarbone in May limited him to just 53 games. Rookie Kevin Newman emerged during that same year and relegated Gonzalez to a bench role during the 2020 season. Even being a bench player, Gonzalez figured to still see a decent amount of playing time, but then the Coronavirus pandemic shut down baseball. This would severely limit Gonzalez's opportunity to shine, and he would have to make the most of every opportunity that he was given. Fortunately ...