Buccos Cove

The 2020 draft was Ben Cherington's first as the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and he picked infielder Nick Gonzales. As Gonzales enters his first season of pro ball, we look at what to expect from the New Mexico State alumnus. The 2020 MLB Draft was not Ben Cherington's first go around, but it was his first chance to make a good impression with Pittsburgh Pirates fans. With the season being delayed, there was no way to judge his team's on-field performance so this was their first chance to evaluate his eye for talent. While many thought he would go with a pitcher or a catcher, Cherington had his eye on the best talent available. That is why he picked infielder Nick Gonzales at #7 overall out of New Mexico State. During the shortened season, Gonzales led the nation in all three major offensive categories in 2020 hitting .448 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 16 games played. Even though he hasn't gotten a chance to play in a live game yet in pro ba...

After trading away guys like Jameson Taillon and Joe Musgrove, the Pittsburgh Pirates were looking for a new leader for the clubhouse. That is when they brought in free agent infield Todd Frazier who brings 12 years of experience to a young team. A young and hungry team can be exciting to watch, and that is the product that General Manager Ben Cherington has put on the field this season. However, even the youngest teams in the league need veteran leadership to show them the way. That is why on February 20th, 2021, Cherington took a chance and signed veteran infielder Todd Frazier to a Minor League deal. Frazier was a long-time enemy to the Pirates, playing for the Cincinnati Reds from 2011 to 2015, but now he is bringing his knowledge and leadership to the Pirates. It is a mutually beneficial relationship as the Pirates get a strong, proven leader, and Frazier gets a chance to show that he can still be a consistent contributor at the Big League level. So far this spring, Fr...

It is probably one of the hardest position groups to guess on the field, but today we try and predict the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen. With so many guys performing well this spring training, the competition is cut-throat for those eight to nine spots. After a year where the bullpen was one of the shakiest parts of the Pittsburgh Pirates team. Especially at the beginning of the year, no lead seemed to be safe and you were continuously holding your breath in big situations. Because of this, General Manager Ben Cherington went out and acquired several depth pieces to help the Pirate's young guys as they develop. Now, it is time for those pieces to show they can be effective and win games for the Pirates. With the rosters growing to 26 men this year, there are several different combinations the team could go with, in the center-field bullpen. They could go with 12, 13, or 14 pitchers and each combination pose different challenges for filling out the roster. Today, we co...

This off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates took a flier on a veteran middle infielder to help young guys like Cole Tucker in their development. Now, Wilmer Difo is fighting for a spot on the 2021 Pirates as he tries to turn his career around. With all of the young talent on the Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 roster, the team was looking for a veteran presence to help out around the field. They have done this by adding guys like Todd Frazier, Trevor Cahill, and Brian Goodwin to help the young players in their development. However, one move for a veteran that might have been forgotten is one of the first free-agent signings of the off-season for the Pirates. On January 15th, 2021, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran middle infielder and utility man Wilmer Difo as a Minor League Free Agent. Difo has spent the past six seasons with the Washington Nationals organization and is exactly what the Pirates are looking for in a super-utility guy. Throughout his career, he has played every pos...

Over the last several seasons, Pittsburgh Pirates' first base prospect Will Craig has been blocked at the Major League level by Josh Bell. Now that Bell is gone, Craig is looking for his chance to make an impact at the Big League level in 2021. In the first round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected a power-hitting first baseman out of Wake Forrest. During the first two years of his professional career, his power really didn't show through, but once he made it to the higher levels of the Minor Leagues he showed that power that the Pirates were waiting for. He hit 20 home runs in Double-A Altoona in 2018 and followed that with a 23 home run season at Triple-A in 2019. That player was Pirates infielder Will Craig who is now looking for a shot at the Major League level. Over the last two seasons, Craig has been blocked by Josh Bell, but since Bell was traded Craig has a chance to prove his worth.  So far this spring, Craig has not ma...

In his first Big League camp, Ji-Hwan Bae has made an impact appearing in 15 of the team's 20 games so far. He is looking to continue his climb through the Minor League system as he makes the jump to Double-A Ball in 2021. If there is one thing the Pittsburgh Pirates are really focusing on this Spring Training, it is their future. That was evident when the team invited 26 players on the Non-Roster Invitee list, including each of the top five prospects on the Pirates Prospects list according to MLB Pipeline. While the big names are Nick Gonzalez, Quinn Priester, and Travis Swaggerty, there are other names in camp who figure to be a big part of the Pirate's future. One of those new happens to be infielder Ji-Hwan Bae who is taking part in his first official Big League camp in 2021. He has performed well so far and showed some versatility playing all over the infield. He has appeared in a majority of the games so far this spring, making an appearance in 15 of the team...

This off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were searching for a veteran back-up catcher for Jacob Stallings. They found their guy in catcher Tony Wolters as he tries to be a steady presence behind the plate when Stallings needs a day off. Over the last two seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates' back-up catching situation has been complicated, to say the least. Before the pandemic hit in 2020, the Pirates were ready with Jacob Stallings being the starter and new signee Luke Maile taking on the back-up role. Then, the shutdown hit, and Maile ended up breaking his finger when the team came back to Pittsburgh, ending his season. Veteran John Ryan Murphy was named the back-up and was below average at best. Stallings did not end up getting many days off, and both Maile and Ryan Murphy left the organization in free agency. The meant the Pirates were in the same situation they were a year ago, looking for a back-up catcher for the 2021 season. They claimed former World Series runner-up ...

Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed catcher Andrew Susac to a Minor League deal, and he ended up riding on the taxi squad most of the season. Now, he is looking to break back into the Big Leagues with the Pirates. Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished as the worst team in Major League Baseball going 19-41. Without the Minor Leagues, there were several players laying in wait to help if the Pirates needed it. One of those players was catcher Andrew Susac, who was in his first season with the team. The Pirates signed Susac as a free agent as a mutually beneficial move. Susan was looking to get back to the Major Leagues after not receiving a full-time shot since the 2015 season, and the Pirates were looking got veteran insurance behind the plate. They had a first-time starter in Jacob Stallings behind the plate, and if things went bad Susac had the experience to step in. Well, it turned out that Stallings was more than capable of handling the starting catching dut...

In just three short seasons, right-handed pitcher Blake Weiman has advanced from short-season ball to Triple-A Indianapolis. Now, he is looking to show that he can be a reliable reliever for the Pirates and a major part of the Big League bullpen. When you think of Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitching prospects, there are a few names that come to mind. Some of those names include Blake Cederlind, Braeden Ogle, and Matt Eckelman are just some of the names that come to mind. However, one Pirates relief prospect is trying to make a name for himself this season and breakthrough at the Big League level. 25-year-old Blake Weiman made the climb from short-season ball to Triple-A Indianapolis in just three seasons. He had success at almost every level, but his momentum was put on hold during the 2020 Minor League season cancellation. Now, he is looking to get back on track and show that he can continue his upward progression. Weiman spent the 2019 season split between Double-A Altoona...

After spending the last five years in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, Shea Spitzbarth is looking fora change of scenery. That is what he is going to get after the Pirates selected him in the Minor League Rule 5 Draft. The Major League Baseball Rule 5 Draft happens every December and gives Minor Leaguers a chance for a fresh new start in a new organization. When people think of the Rule 5 Draft, they often think of the Major League portion where the drafted player has to be on the Big League roster all season. The Pittsburgh Pirates made two of these selections this year in Jose Soriano and Luis Oviedo, who we will see in the bullpen at some point in 2021. However, there is also a Minor League portion where the players simply switch organizations in hopes of a new start. The Pirates made three selections in this round, and the only one in Big League camp is right-handed pitcher Shea Spitzbarth. Spitzbarth signed as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and has had a roller-c...

In a year full of young talented guys making their way to the Major Leagues, the Pirates were on the hunt for a veteran bullpen presence. They addressed this need by signing Minor League Free Agent Chasen Streve and inviting him to Big League camp. Entering the 2021 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a group of talented young relievers looking to be mainstays in the Pirates bullpen. Guys like Geoff Hartlieb, Sam Howard, and David Bednar are all looking to make their mark with the Pirates during the 2021 season. One thing all three of these guys have in common is that they are young, talented, and inexperienced. Of the three, Howard is the only one who has pitched an entire Big League season, but all of them showed promise. The Pirates were looking for a leader for these young talented arms and they found it in a former New York Mets reliever looking to make his way back to a Big League roster. With the New York Mets in 2020, Shreve put together a decent season going 1-0 wit...

As the top pitching prospect in the Pirates Minor League system, Quinn Priester is turning heads in Big League camp. As he transitions to the upper levels of the Minor League system, he is trying to show that he can continue to be dominant. As the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their rebuild to bring a winning team back in Pittsburgh, their prospects and development are more important than ever. These highly touted prospects have to start turning out and becoming competitive Major League players. The Pirates greatly improved that Minor League system this off-season, adding 11 new players to the Top 30 prospects list. However, through all the changes, one guy who has held his ground on the list is right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester. He is joining Big League Spring Training for the first time in his professional baseball career and has been turning heads. Although he hasn't yet appeared in a Spring Training game for the Pirates this year, his bullpens have looked good and h...

When he was picked in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher Braeden Ogle was one of the most talented high school arms in the draft. However, after a series of injuries that included a Tommy John Surgery, Ogle is looking to show he can be a talented arm out of the bullpen for the Pirates. If there is one thing the Neil Huntington era was known for, it was its love of raw talented high school players. Guys like Jameson Taillon, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and even Andrew McCutchen all came from the high school ranks into the Pirates system. The thought process was if you get them when they are young, they can develop the way you like them to before becoming contributing players on the Big League club. One of these raw talented high school draft picks was a left-handed pitcher named Braeden Ogle. When the Pirates drafted Ogle, he was one of the best high school arms in the state of Florida. However, injuries have deterred his development and changed his outlook ...

In 2019, the Pittsburgh Pirates got a glimpse of right-handed pitcher James Marvel after he earned the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award. He has been trying to battle his way back ever since and is hoping 2021 is his year. In 2019, there was a hot young pitcher climbing the Minor League ranks who was thought to be ready to make his MLB debut. That pitcher was JT Brubaker, but an early-season injury kept him out for the entire 2019 season. With this opening in the organization, the team was looking for someone to take advantage of the opportunity. That guy would be a young right-handed pitcher named James Marvel. Marvel was a 36th round draft pick in 2015, and entering the 2019 season he wasn't on many top prospect lists. However, he went out and won 16 games while posting a career-low 2.94 ERA and was named the organization's Pitcher of the Year. Marvel would be rewarded for his efforts as he made his MLB debut as a September call-up that sea...

After being released at the end of the 2020 season, Clay Holmes came back to the Pirates on a Minor League deal. He is now fighting to get back to the Pirates bullpen after a career that has been full of injuries and setbacks. When he was drafted in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB draft, there were a lot of expectations placed on the high school arm. He was having success in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, but injuries early in his career ended up stopping his progress. Once he recovered, he once again emerged as a top prospect, and ended up making his Pirates debut in 2018, but didn't bring with him the results that were expected. He has since appeared in parts of three Minor League seasons with the Pirates and went 2-5 with a 5.91 ERA over 47 Big League games. In the end, Holmes ended up walking in free agency following the 2020 season, and it looked like their partnership was over. However, five days after his departure, Holmes was back with the Pirates when h...