Buccos Cove

Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates saw one of their top prospects make his Major League debut in Ke'Bryan Hayes. For 2021, the Pirates are hoping that O'neil Cruz can come up and be just as successful this season. Whenever a top prospect finally takes the next step to the Big Leagues, it can be an exciting time for the fan base. Pittsburgh Pirates fans got a taste of that last season when Ke'Bryan Hayes made his Major League debut on September 1st, 2020. Hayes took off and set himself up to be the everyday first baseman in 2021, and now the Pirates are looking for more of their prospects to do the same. The next Pirates' top prospect ready to make that jump to the Major Leagues is infielder/outfielder O'neil Cruz. After being involved in a deadly car crash this off-season, where he was cleared of wrong-doing, Cruz is looking to get back to baseball and becoming a star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Throughout his entire Minor League career, Cruz has played...

As the Pittsburgh Pirates enter the final year of Gregory Polanco's contract, they are set to pay him 11 million dollars. This year for Christmas, the Pirates are looking to trade him and his contract away. During the early 2010s, the Pittsburgh Pirates were known for scouting and signing players in the international free-agent market. Some of their big signings included guys like Starling Marte and current Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco. When Polanco was coming up through the Minor Leagues, he had a lot of hype behind him and was going to be the next star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. When he first came to the Big Leagues in 2014, he showed good potential but never had that breakout season that the Pirates were looking for. His best season was in 2016 when he hit .258 with 22 home runs and 119 RBI. It was during that season that the Pirates rewarded Polanco with a five-year extension worth 35 million dollars beginning with the 2017 season. Ever since signing that ...

One of the biggest parts of a rebuild is having all of your top prospects come up and perform at a high level. For the Pirates, Ke'Bryan Hayes's success at the Big League level will be a big part of the growth of the organization. On September 1st, 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates organizational future changed forever. Ke'Bryan Hayes made his Major League debut against the Chicago Cubs, and molded himself into the starting third baseman of the future for the Pirates. He was one of the most exciting Pirates to watch last season, and even though he played in less than half the games during the season he was still in the running for the Rookie of the Year Award. He didn't win, but gets the added benefit of qualifying for the Award again giving him a rare second chance at the Rookie of the Year Award. His offense and defense both shined through during the season and he established himself as a starter in 2021. If the Pirates have their way, Hayes will be in the runn...

The holidays are right around the corner and we are checking off the Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 Christmas List. Today's item, the Pirates are looking for their premier power hitter Josh Bell to turn things around in 2021. The Pittsburgh Pirates' last-place finish in Major League Baseball in 2020 was due to a number of factors. Injuries ravished the team, with 11 players ending the year on the injured list, leaving holes everywhere in the field. However, another key factor to the down year was ineffectiveness, and one of the main culprits was first baseman Josh Bell. Whether it was offensively or defensively, Bell just didn't look comfortable at the plate and couldn't generate the show-stopping numbers he put up during the 2019 season. Since coming up in 2016, Josh Bell has held down first base for the Pirates and has developed into a power hitter in the middle of the Pirates order. That all came to a head in 2019 when he had a career-year hitting .277 with 37 h...

On the days leading up to Christmas Day, we examine some of the top items that will be on the Pittsburgh Pirates Christmas List this year. The first, and probably most important item is starting pitching help for a young rotation. It is that time of year when we all start making out our lists to Santa Claus in hopes of getting everything we want. Similarly, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the midst of the 2020 - 2021 off-season and are looking to check off items on their Christmas List. As a young team looking to become competitive again, one of the top things on the Pirates list this season is some starting pitching to help guide their young arms. Heading into the 2021 season, the Pirates do not have a starting pitcher over the age of 30, and three of their four starters do not have a full season as a starting pitcher under their belt. They are looking for a veteran who can help the young guys along as they go through the trials and tribulations of a full season. As of right...