Buccos Cove

The Pittsburgh Pirates open the second half of their 2021 season as their series shifts to PNC Park. The Pirates are aiming for a season series win in the final three meetings with the Mets this season. As the second half of the season is set to get underway tonight, it will start the same way the first half ended. Before the All-Star break, the Pirates were getting some good starting pitching, and as a result, we're finding more success on the field. They went 4-3 in their final seven games before the break and earned a series win over the Atlanta Braves and a series split with these same New York Mets. Both teams are in the battle for the NL East crown,  and the Pirates have shown that they can compete with some of the better teams in the league. Now the Pirates will go through a lot of changes over the next few weeks, but right now the young guys are getting some confidence and momentum on their side. However, they come right out of the gate facing those same New Yor...

The Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up the first half of the 2021 season when they head to New York for a four-game season against the Mets. It is a battle between two teams on the opposite end of the spectrum heading into the All-Star Break. After a series win against the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates have won three of their last five games and sit at 32-54 with four games to go before the all-star break. They are hoping to end the first half of the season with some momentum on their side, but to do that they will have to head out on the road, a place that hasn't been too kind to them this season. On the road, the Pirates have a record of 13-29 and both their team batting average (.225) and ERA (5.37) are significantly worse away from PNC Park. Add that with the fact that the Pirates are taking on the leaders of the National League East, and on paper, it looks like a recipe for disaster. It will be the first match-up of the year between the Pirates and the New York Me...

After the Pirates took Jose Soriano with the first overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, they added more pitching depth. They made a trade with the New York Mets to add pitcher Luis Oviedo. The Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off the 2020 - 2021 Rule 5 Draft by taking Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels. However, Been Cherrington's work was not done as he continued to look for ways to improve the Pirates organization. He swung a trade, that was obviously pre-planned, with the New York Mets to acquire the ninth overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft, Luis Oviedo for cash. It is the second pitching prospect that Cherrington added in the Rule 5 Draft and it is the first official trade he has made this off-season. Oviedo is another strong right-handed pitcher who has a fastball that can reach in the high 90s on a consistent basis. Oviedo pitched at Class-A Lake County for the Cleveland Indians in 2019 and was the team's #11 overall prospect. He also cracked Baseball America's ...

The Pittsburgh Pirates completed their first trade of the 2020 season acquiring pitcher Tyler Bashlor from the New York Mets. Bashlor has pitched two seasons in the Major Leagues and has a career record of 0-6 with a 5.33 ERA. Since taking over as the new Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager, Been Cherrington hasn't been able to pull the trigger on any trades this season. He finally got to make his first move as General Manager over the weekend in a low-profile trade. He acquired relief pitcher Tyler Bashlor from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations. It is a move clearly made to help a struggling Pirates bullpen and give the team some depth options after three injuries over the weekend. In a corresponding move, left-handed pitcher Robbie Erlin has also been designated for assignment. An initial look at Bashlor's numbers is not going to turn heads for anyone. He has appeared in 48 games for the New York Mets and went 0-6 with a 5.33 ERA in 54 innings o...

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. Since joining professional baseball, Phillip Evans has completely morphed his game from changing his position to changing his approach at the plate. When he was drafted, scouts projected him to be a contact hitter with very little power and above-average defense. However, he has since added a power stroke to his game, with 42 home runs in the last three seasons, and was named one of the top-15 prospects in the New York Mets organization. However, Evans was blocked from MLB opportunities when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. So, he elected free agency at the end of the 2019 season and the Pirates would take a chance on the 27-year old, giving him an invit...