Buccos Cove

Even after the 4 pm Trade Deadline passed, the Pittsburgh Pirates were busy completing two different deals. They added to both their Big League roster and Minor League roster as they continue to build towards the future. Coming into Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates were expected to be one of the most active teams in the market. However, as the day trickled on the only move the Pirates made sent Minor Leaguer Braeden Ogle to the Philadelphia Phillies for Minor League catcher Abrahan Gutierrez. There were several teams linked to guys like Richard Rodriguez and Chris Stratton, but nothing was materializing. 4 pm came and went, but with deals still coming in, there was still a chance that the Pirates would end up making a move. It came in at around 4:15 pm, but in the end, the Pirates made their moves shipping two relievers to contending teams, with one move expected and the other not. The first of the two moves was the one everyone was expecting. The Pirates sent closer Richard ...

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...

The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been roughed up as of late after being overworked early in the season. A shake-up is coming with the Trade Deadline approaching and guys will have to be ready to take over some new roles. Rewind the season back to April, and one of the only strengths to this Pittsburgh Pirates team was the bullpen. It started with the back-end of the bullpen, as closer Richard Rodriguez and set-up man Kyle Crick were on fire, and it resonated throughout the rest of the group. Sam Howard, Clay Holmes, and David Bednar were strong in middle relief and Duane Underwood Jr. was a reliable long man. As a result, the Pirates were able to shorten games and it helped them finish the month at 12-10 and way above expectations. However, Pirates starters weren't going deep into games and you knew something had to give. Fast-forward to present day and we are starting to see some of the consequences of the starters not going deeper into games. The bullpen ERA has ris...

The MLB Trade Deadline is nearly a month away, and it is time to start thinking about what moves the Pirates may make this season. In our first edition of Trade Talk, we propose a deal that would send Richard Rodriguez to Oakland. It is that time of year again in Major League Baseball when the trade rumors start flying and the "mystery teams" will soon start flying. The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline is just over a month away, and for the Pirates, that means looking for deals that are going to help add talent to their system and build for the future. Unfortunately, this also means that the Pirates are going to have to say goodbye to some of their most productive players on the Major League club. The obvious names like Adam Frazier and Tyler Anderson have already been circling in rumors, but don't be surprised if other names you didn't expect start to be moved. For the Pirates, one of the strengths for their team has been the bullpen, and especially the work of cl...

During the Pittsburgh Pirates' current success, the bullpen has been key to getting wins. They have been dominant all season, and have picked up the starters and kept their team in ball games. No matter how bad or good the Pittsburgh Pirates record had been over the years, the one constant has been that they have had a good bullpen. From the days of Kent Tekulve to Matt Capps and John Grabow, to Mark Melancon and Joel Hanrahan, the Pirates have always been good in relief work. However, this season, the bullpen is taking things to a new level and is by far the biggest positive to this team. They showed off again yesterday afternoon, throwing the final 7.0 innings of work while allowing just one earned run. The Pirates would reward them with a come from behind, extra-inning win when they beat the Miami Marlins 8-7 in 12 innings to improve to 23-34 on the season. On the year, the Pirates bullpen ranks 11th in Major League Baseball with a 3.76 ERA over 222.1 innings of work...

After stepping in as closer last season, Richard Rodriguez has nailed down the job with an impressive showing in 2021. He has not been scored upon in 10.1 innings this season and hasn't been scored upon in 21 consecutive innings. At the beginning of the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates' closer role was largely up in the air. Kyle Crick and Keone Kela were battling it out for the ninth inning spot, but Kela couldn't stay on the field and injuries hampered Crick's ability to jump into the role. However, by the end of the season, there was a clear-cut closer who was dominating every time he stepped onto the mound. He never had closing experience at the Major League level, but when the Pirates had a need, he jumped in and filled the role. Richard Rodriguez had quietly had three strong seasons in the Pirates bullpen, and he is now being rewarded as the team's closer. He has been one of the toughest relievers in all of baseball dating back to last year, and...

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, the Pittsburgh Pirates needed a back-end reliever and Richard Rodriguez was the guy to step-up. As we enter 2021, the Pirates are looking for him to be a leader in the bullpen and help the young guys as they develop into everyday Major Leaguers. Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen was seemingly always missing someone due to injury. Whether it was Nick Burdi, Kyle Crick, or Edgar Santana's suspension, it seemed like the Pirates were always missing some of their key contributors. However, the one constant in the bullpen throughout the season was right-handed pitcher Richard Rodriguez. He stepped in when the Pirates needed a closer last season, and put together one of his best seasons of professional baseball going 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA over 23.1 innings of work. Now that he is entering his age 30 season, he is the veteran of the group and will be looked at to help the younger generation as they develop. Assuming nothing changes between now and April 1st...

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), ...

With the Pittsburgh Steelers falling to the Cleveland Browns last night, all eyes turn to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pirates as they get ready for their 2021 seasons. We look at where the Pirates stand just 35 days away from reporting day. Last night, the Pittsburgh sports world watched as disaster unfolded before their eyes. With a bad snap just seconds into the game, the Steelers ended up falling to the Cleveland Browns 48-37 in the AFC Wild Card Round ending their season. However, for Pirates fans that means all eyes turn to Spring Training. We are just about 35 days away from pitchers and catcher reporting, but where do the Pirates stand? It has been a pretty uneventful off-season for the Pirates, and pretty much every other team in the league, with the only major move being the trade of Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals. Other than that and a few minor signings, the roster looks pretty much the same as it did a season ago minus the clean-up hitter. The Pirates do ...

In a year where the bullpen was a weak point for the Pittsburgh Pirates, one guy stepped up big time. Richard Rodriguez held many roles in the Pirates bullpen and is our Buccos Cove reliever of the year. When you begin the season not knowing exactly what your role on the team is, things can be difficult. You essentially have to be able to adapt to anything and pitch effectively whenever your team needs you. At the beginning of the season, Nick Burdi and Kyle Crick, and Keone Kela were the three front runners for the closer's role. However, Kela didn't show, Burdi got hurt, and Crick was ineffective leaving the Pirates with a need for a ninth-inning man. That is when Richard Rodriguez stepped in and served as the team's late-inning reliever. He went on to have a career-year and earns this year's Buccos Cove Pittsburgh Pirates Reliever of the Year Award. Rodriguez finished 2020 appearing in 24 games while going 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA over 23.1 innings of work. Th...