Buccos Cove

Throughout the 2021 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made several waiver claims and small trades to fill gaps on their team. Today, we look at some of those signings that may stick around past this season. In a year of rebuilding, there are times when teams pick up players who are just there as a "warm body." While they may not necessarily have a future on the team, they are getting playing time because there is simply no one ready at the Triple-A level to take their place. During the 2021 season, we have seen the Pittsburgh Pirates make many of these types of signings, from Dustin Fowler at the beginning of the season to John Nogowski most recently. Nine times out of ten, these trades end up being short-term moves that fill a need now, but in the end, don't mean very much. However, every now and then, you see a guy who breaks the mold and shows he could have a longer-term benefit. The latest example of this was Phillip Evans before his injury last season, ...

When he first came to Pittsburgh, it took outfielder Ben Gamel some time to get into the flow of things. Now that he is playing every day, he has been swinging a hot bat and earning his spot as the Pirates' left fielder. Ever since Anthony Alford and Dustin Fowler failed in centerfield, and Bryan Reynolds was moved there, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been looking for someone to take over in left field. Several players have tried including Ka'ai Tom, Wilmer Difo, and even Jared Oliva but none have really gotten a hold of the position. With the job up for grabs, there is one outfielder who is trying to show that he can handle the duties for the rest of the season. Ben Gamel came to the Pirates in early May when they claimed him off waivers from the Cleveland Indians, and he struggled initially. However, he has been getting more playing time as of late and has capitalized on his opportunities. Ever since the calendar turned to July, Gamel has turned it on hitting .421 w...

The Pittsburgh Pirates welcomed back Phillip Evans off of the injured list last night, but to do so they had to DFA pinch-hitting success Wilmer Difo. While the departure was a little bit surprising, it also offered some more clarity on the roles of Pirates bench players this season. Every year there are some surprises on a Major League roster who you weren't really expecting much from. Some recent examples include the emergence of guys like Evan Meek in the late 2000s, Josh Harrison in the playoff years, and most recently a guy named Phillip Evans who came into his own in 2020 before promptly having his session ended by Gregory Polanco's elbow. In 2022, the early season surprise was a guy named Wilmer Difo, who the Pirates signed as a Minor League Free Agent this off-season. Not much was expected of Difo, but he took advantage of his opportunity when he got the call. He became one of the best pinch hitters on the Pirates, hitting .296 with a home run and three RBI ...

Over the last month and a half, the Pittsburgh Pirates have seen several key players hit the injured list. Those players are making their way back, and with Ke'Bryan Hayes coming off Thursday, there are several roster moves waiting to be made. Coming into the 2021 season, one of the biggest things to watch on this Pirates team was the emergence of rookie third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. With this in mind, fans were pretty disappointed when the young third baseman went down on April 2nd with a wrist strain that has kept him out two months of the season. There was hope he would be back in the beginning of May, but a setback pushed him to the 60-day IL, making him ineligible to return to the lineup until June 3rd. Hayes has played in just two games, five at-bats, this season and is hitting .200 with one home run and two RBI. The Pirates have been missing his bat in the top third of the lineup and desperately need a spark for their light-hitting offense. Well, the next tim...

Yesterday, Ka'ai Tom came off the 10-day IL as the 27th man in the Pirates doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies and went 1-3 with a home run. As he returns to the roster, it will likely be a battle between Tom and Gamel for playing time in left field. The Pittsburgh Pirates have many players on the Injured List who are currently working their way back into the lineup. The first of those players made their return on Sunday as Ka'ai Tom came off the 10-day Injured List as the Pirates 27th man in the doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies. Tom got the start in left field in game two, and ended up contributing, going 1-3 with a home run on 27th birthday, in a 4-0 win that less to a sweep of the doubleheader. Tom's overall average isn't that impressive, at .169, but he has done some good work during his time in a Pirates uniform. However, with the Pirates, that average is slightly better at .209 with two home runs, eight RBI, and an on-base percentage of ...

If there is one thing the Pittsburgh Pirates have had to deal with lately, it is injuries at first base as Colin Moran is on the DL and Phillip Evans left yesterday's game hurt. We look at who will be on first for the Pirates if both players miss significant time. On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt a blow worse than the 3-2 loss they took to the Chicago Cubs. In the process, first baseman Colin Moran was forced to leave the game with left groin discomfort. At the time, the team had a veteran option in Todd Frazier, who stepped in and handled the position the next two games. However, with a lack of outfielders at the Major League level, the Pirates ended up DFA'ing Frazier in favor of rookie outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. The Pirates still had Phillip Evans to play first, but really no one behind him. Now, the Pirates were dealt another blow as Evans was forced to leave yesterday's game with what is being reported as left hamstring tightness by Jason Mack...

With the slew of recent injuries for the Pittsburgh Pirates, not many proven outfield options remained. Because of this, the Pirates went out and claimed veteran Ben Gamel off waivers to add some stability to a position that has been plagued with questions this season. From the beginning of the season, one of the biggest questions on this Pittsburgh Pirates team came from the outfield. Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco were locks from the get-go, and it was supposed to be Anthony Alford and Dustin Fowler battling for centerfield. However, both Alford and Fowler failed to produce much of anything at the Major League level, and the Pirates have essentially been throwing things at the wall to see what sticks ever since. Add that with Gregory Polanco heading to the Injured List, and Bryan Reynolds dealing with back tightness, and the Pirates were faced with a real problem. Because of this, General Manager Ben Cherington went out and claimed a veteran outfielder off waivers, wh...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are searching for some outfield depth in 2021, and there is a young free agent available for the taking. 28-year-old Ben Gamel could give the Pirates the boost they need in the outfield. One of the biggest question marks for the 2021 Pirates, besides the starting rotation, is who will be in the outfield. There are some locks like Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco, but the third position is a toss-up between Anthony Alford and Jared Oliva, neither of which has played a full MLB season. Ben Cherington has gone on the record to say that he is looking for outfield help, but he has to go with someone who may factor into the Pirate's future plans. That means bringing in a young talent that the Pirates can control for a couple of years while they try and build a winning ball club. He doesn't necessarily have to be an everyday starter, just someone to provide depth for the team in the long-run. A look at the market shows one of these young, controlla...