Buccos Cove

While the alternate training site is full of up-and-coming prospects, there are also a few veteran guys looking for jobs on the Big League club. They also serve an important role for the camp as they try to give advice and guidance while showing their skills on the field. When you think of the Pittsburgh Pirates alternate training site, the first names that usually come to mind are guys like Oneil Cruz, Travis Swaggerty, and Braeden Ogle. These guys are the future of the Pirates and the ones who will hopefully bring winning back to Pittsburgh. However, among these young guys are a few veterans who are trying to find their way back to the Big Leagues. These guys are mostly Minor League Free Agent signings like Brian Goodwin, Todd Frazier, and Andrew Susac who have been around the league a time or two. While these guys are also trying to make their way back to the Big Leagues, they serve a key role as mentors to these young players trying to make it for the first time. All fo...

As the Pittsburgh Pirates alternate training site roles into its second week, there is a bounty of talent on reserve for the Pirates. Today, we look at who might be the first outfielder recalled should the need arise for the team. The Pittsburgh Pirates alternate training site is in their second full week of work, as they prepare for not only the Minor League season, but a possible shot at the Major Leagues. Everyone currently at the alternate training site is just one injury or ineffective performance away from getting their shot to show what they can do at the Big League level. With the Pirates currently in a rebuild, they will take a look at everyone and anyone to see what this team has for the future. Right now, the Pirates have four outfielders on their current active roster, and it has been a struggle early in the season. Aside from Bryan Reynolds, there really hasn't been much offensive production from the other two outfield positions in the early going. If the i...

We are now less than a week away from Opening Day 2021, and the Major League rosters are beginning to take shape. However, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be looking at some tough cuts before they break camp and head to Chicago on April 1st. With just six days left until the Pittsburgh Pirates open the 2021 season in Chicago, fans and players alike are getting excited. However, there are still moves that need to be made as the Pirates cut their roster down to the 26-man roster that will travel north for Opening Day. There have already been some surprising cuts to this point, with Cole Tucker and Edgar Santana being optioned, and some devastating injuries, with Steven Brault and Blake Cederlind both missing significant time. Both of these situations have a significant impact on how the roster will look and what moves the Pirates will make before the season begins. This may mean some surprising moves are on the way as the team deals with Minor League Options, veterans not...

We are just two weeks away from Opening Day of the 2021 season, and the first round of cuts has been made. Today, we try and predict who will be on the Pirates bench when the team heads up to Chicago to take on the Cubs on April 1st. When looking at the Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 roster, the hardest position group on the field to guess is the bench. With the new 26-man rosters for the 2021 season, there are a few different combinations of players the Pirates could go with. They could have 12 pitchers and 14 position players, 13 pitchers and 13 position players, or 14 pitchers and 12 position players. In an interview during Sunday's Spring Training game, General Manager Ben Cherington said there would be points during the season where the team would use 14 pitchers. He did not make it clear how he was going to balance out the roster on Opening Day, but for today's list, we are going with the model of 13 pitchers and 13 position players. With 13 position players on the t...

Anthony Alford looked good on offense during his Spring Training debut, but reports are his elbow surgery is affecting his throwing. If Alford isn't ready to go for Opening Day, the Pirates will have to tap into their outfield depth to replace him on the field. During the course of the off-season, one of the big questions for the Pittsburgh Pirates was who will be playing in centerfield? With an initial look at the roster, the question seemed to be answered by Anthony Alford, who the Pirates had picked up off waivers from the Blue Jays during the 2020 season. Alford played five games for the Pirates and hit .250 with a home run and four RBI before smashing into the centerfield wall and fracturing his elbow. He had surgery to repair the fracture during the off-season and carried his offensive momentum into the first Spring Training game of the year when he went 1-2 with a solo home run against the Blue Jays on Monday. However, the reason he wasn't in the outfield was...

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates added a fourth outfielder to their roster when they signed Brian Goodwin to a Minor League contract. Goodwin hit .215 with six home runs last season between the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds. On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates made two Minor League signings as they looked to add to their 2021 roster. With outfield being one of the key holes on this team, General Manager Ben Cherrington made an effort to fill that hole by signing five-year Major League veteran Brian Goodwin to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training. Goodwin has spent the last five seasons with the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, and Cincinnati Reds, and has solid career numbers hitting .250 with 42 home runs and 129 RBI. Last season, he split time between Los Angeles and Cincinnati and put together a .215 average with six home runs and 22 RBI over 50 games played. Goodwin is a guy who brings some power off the bench, but...