Buccos Cove

The MLB Trade Deadline is this afternoon at 4 pm, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the most active teams. We look at some final thoughts and who stays and who goes before 4 pm. It is the time of year when Major League teams are wheeling and dealing either to build their roster now or get it ready for the future. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, they are in sellers mode and have proved that making three trades already this week where they have acquired a total of seven prospects for three Major Leaguers. Of those prospects acquired, two have landed in the Pirates Top 30 prospect list and one, Tucupita Marcano, ended up in the top 10 of the Pirates system. The biggest pieces the Pirates had to offer have already been moved in Adam Frazier and Tyler Anderson, but it doesn't mean Ben Cherington's wheeling and dealing is done. As the Pirates build for the future, they are still looking to add to their bolstered Minor League system. With the trade deadline just hour...

When you think of the Pirates bullpen, the big names that come to mind are Richard Rodriguez, David Bednar, and Sam Howard. However, one guy who has flown under the radar is Chris Stratton, who is back after a slow start. One of the strengths of the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates has been the work of their bullpen. Guys like Richard Rodriguez, Kyle Crick, and David Bednar were all out to solid starts and definitely won the team some games early in the season. The Pirates bullpen ranks 12th in all of baseball with a 3.85 ERA this season but has definitely been overtaxed the last couple of weeks. They have thrown a combined 248 innings of work which ranks them ninth in all of baseball. While the back-end of the rotation has been highlighted, one guy who has fallen through the cracks is Chris Stratton. Stratton is not a very flashy guy by nature and has quietly been one of the most consistent relievers for the Pirates. However, it wasn't a great start to the season for Stratton, ...

The Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off their 2021 season with a win yesterday beating the Chicago Cubs 5-3 at Wrigley Field. The win was in large part thanks to the effort of the bullpen, that combined to throw six innings of one-run, one hit, ball to secure the victory. Despite expectations, the Pittsburgh Pirates got the 2021 season started off on the right foot when they defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Opening Day. It was a great win for the team, and there is always a positive taste in your mouth when you start the season off 1-0 as opposed to 0-1. However, that win would not have been possible if it weren't for the complete dominance of the Pirates bullpen. Starting pitcher Chad Kuhl didn't have a full spring because of the birth of his son, and you knew he wasn't going deep into the game. However, when he left after just three innings, there was some concern on how the bullpen was going to handle six innings of holding a lead. However, they showed just how goo...

Opening Day is tomorrow, and we can't wait for the 2021 season to begin against the Chicago Cubs. In our final installment of Three Things to Watch, we take a look at how Manager Derek Shelton will use his pitchers coming into 2021. The 60-game season in 2020 was a nice sprint of a season during the pandemic, but it is nothing compared to the marathon of a 162-game season. Players get a full season to show off their talents and pitchers can work their arms out and build up their innings on the mound. Tomorrow, that marathon begins when the Pittsburgh Pirates head to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs for the opener. The Pirates aren't picked to do much this season, but this young and hungry team is looking to prove the critics wrong and show how talented they are. They aren't going to be competing for a playoff spot this season, but they are going to be in some competitive games and it will be fun to watch. However, they are only going to go as far as the...

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...

Last season, when the Pirates needed a reliable arm out of the bullpen they turned to reliever Chris Stratton. Stratton served as a long relief man last season and is looking to once again eat up innings for the bullpen and keep the Pirates in ball games. Ever since coming over from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade during the 2019 season, right-handed pitcher Chris Stratton has been one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' most reliable relievers. In his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, he has gone 3-2 with a 3.76 ERA spanning 76.2 innings of work. When he was with the Angels, he was used as both a starter and a reliever, but he has since ditched the starter tag, and it seems to have worked out for the better. As he enters his age 30 season, he is looking to show he still has what it takes to be a dominant reliever. 2020 was the best full season of his career, and he is looking to continue to build off of it. Ever since he dropped the starter role, things have gone a lot better ...

With the trade of Joe Musgrove on Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation will be down another player. We look at how the starting rotation is taking shape with pitchers and catchers set to report to Bradenton in less than a month. The Pittsburgh Pirates made another move toward their team rebuild on Monday when they sent Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres in a three-team deal. The Pirates got back a nice haul of prospects that will help rebuild a depleted Minor League system and get the Pirates back to having a pipeline of talent. However, in the short term, the rotation is down one of its key starting pitchers from the last couple of seasons. Oscar Marin and the coaching staff are going to have to get the most out of their young pitchers as the new Pirates rotation begins to take shape. Of the projected starting pitchers, only one has pitched a full MLB season, so the rest are going to have to do some on the job training. Entering Spring Training, there seem to...

The arbitration deadline was yesterday, and the Pirates were able to settle contracts with all nine of their arbitration-eligible players. We look at the future of some of these players and what it means moving forward. Friday was one of the busiest days of the 2020-2021 off-season for the Pirates to date. It was the start of the International Free Agent Signing day, the Pirates signed Minor League Free Agent Wilmer Difo, and rumors continue to swirl. Lost in the hustle and bustle of things was the arbitration deadline, and the Pirates had nine arbitration-eligible players. However, the Pirates will not be heading to any hearings, as they agreed on contracts with all nine eligible players for 2021. With the salaries set, it gives the Pirates a better idea of where they are at salary-wise and gives interested teams a number to gauge how much they would owe some of the Pirates top trade chips. The nine players that the Pirates came to terms with are Steven Brault (2.05 mil), ...

In a year that has seen the bullpen struggle mightily, there are a few relievers who are flying under the radar and are having solid seasons. One of those guys is Chris Stratton, who continued his efforts in last night's 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. To say that the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been a dysfunctional mess this season would be an understatement. Injuries and ineffectiveness have thrust guys into positions they weren't ready for, and the team suffered the consequences. However, one guy who is flying under the radar for the Pirates so far is a right-handed long reliever, Chris Stratton. Now, when you think about your best reliever in the bullpen, you don't often think about your long relief. They usually come in when the starter gets hurt or the game is out of hand. Because they often pitch in low-leverage situations, they don't get the attention that the closers and set-up men do, but they are still very important to any good Major League b...

The Pittsburgh Pirates' three-game series with the Cardinals has been postponed, so it's time to take a look back. Through one week of games, the Pirates sit at a Major League worst 3-13, and we look at the good and the bad so far. After Sunday's series finale loss at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, the Pirates do not sit in a good spot after their first 16 games of the season. They have the worst record in Major League Baseball at 3-13 and they have played some bad baseball at times. With a mix of young players and a new manager, you expected a learning curve from the team and some of that inexperience has shined through. Although, it hasn't all been bad as at times both the offense and the pitching has shown signs of life. However, they don't seem to get in sync at the same time and that has led to the inconsistency on the team. With just over a quarter of the season completed in this 60-game sprint, it is time to take a look at how the team has perfo...

With the news breaking yesterday that Pirates right-hander Chris Archer will miss the entire season due to shoulder surgery, it threw a wrench in the Pirates starting rotation plans. Already without Jameson Taillon, what will the new rotation look like minus Archer? Even before Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Union come to an agreement on the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt some bad news on Wednesday afternoon. They learned that they would be without veteran starting pitcher Chris Archer for the duration of the 2020 season. Archer had to undergo surgery to relieve pain caused by thoracic outlet syndrome. While we wish Archer the best and hope he begins to feel better soon, it threw a wrench in the Pirates starting rotation this season, should an agreement be reached and games be played. Prior to this injury it was looking like the rotation would consist of Joe Musgrove, Chris Archer, Trevor Williams, Mitch Keller, and then a battle for the fifth spo...

As we await the start of the 2020 MLB season due to Corona Virus concerns, we will take a look at every player on the Pirates roster and outline what they will bring to the table and projections for the 2020 season. I hope this brings some positive reading to the current situation and helps us all as we wait for baseball. With only two left-handed options currently on the active roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been stockpiling left-handed pitching talent. One of the guys they picked up last season was left-handed pitcher Williams Jerez after the San Francisco Giants designated him for assignment. Jerez spent a little time in the Pirates bullpen at the end of the 2019 season but was designated for assignment after the season. Jerez was able to clear waivers and earn invitation to Spring Training and is out to prove his worth to the Pirates organization. In six games with the Pirates last season, Jerez pitched to a 7.36 ERA in 3.2 innings of work. He gave up three earned ...