Buccos Cove

After spending the last two weeks on the 10-day Injured List, Trevor Cahill made his return last night in relief. It could be a permanent move that adds some veteran presence to the relief core. All through the month of June, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been getting some of their key players back from injury. Ke'Bryan Hayes, Colin Moran, and Chad Kuhl are just some of the players who have already made their return this season. The Pirates had another player make his official return from the Injured List in last night's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. After Clay Holmes got into trouble and lost the lead on a two-RBI single by Christian Yelich, Manager Derek Shelton went to his bullpen. He brought in the 35-year-old right-hander Trevor Cahill. Cahill had spent the last two weeks on the 10-day Injured list with a calf strain and was making his first relief appearance in a Pirates uniform. After a rough start that saw him walk in two runs, Cahill settled do...

Now that the Pirates are two times through their starting rotation, there is some measurable growth that all five starters have shown. This success is looking to drive the rotation as they try and lead this young Pirates team into the future. The first through the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation, all five pitchers had some flaws. Whether it be wildness, getting hit around, or not lasting long into the game, there was something that each pitcher had to work on. However, the theme of the 2021 Pirates is growth and that started with the second turn through the rotation. It was up to all five starting pitchers to not only identify the flaws of their first starts of the year but be able to build off of them in their next outings. Now that we are twice through the rotation, the starters have seemed to take this to heart as each one improved from their first outing. Whether it was baby steps or a giant leap, each made adjustments that positively impacted their performanc...

It is finally here! The Pittsburgh Pirates open the 2021 season against the Chicago Cubs this afternoon at Wrigley Field. The new season brings new opportunities and a chance for the young Bucs to shatter the expectations of critics around the league. Spring Training is over, and Opening Day is here once again! Gone is the shortened 60-game season as we get a full summer of baseball featuring 162 games over six months of action. The Pittsburgh Pirates kick off the 2021 schedule by taking on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. While Pirates fans are excited for the action, not many other people around the league are. Expectations are very low for this year's team with Vegas setting the over-under of their win-loss percentage at an alarming 58.5. Coming off a year where they had the worst record in Major League Baseball at 19-41, no one has the Pirates as being a Cinderella story or even a sleeper team to surprise this season. However, don't tell that to this young gro...

We are just three days away from Opening Day 2021, and Manager Derek Shelton has yet to name his Opening Day starter. Today, we look at who may get the ball when the Pirates head to Chicago for Opening Day on April 1st. It is an honor that has been bestowed on pitchers year after year. The Opening Day starter is a big role as they are the ones to get the ball rolling and set the tone for the rest of the season. A great start can get a pitching staff going and give a team momentum going into the year. However, a slip-up could lead to the team being behind the eight ball and having to play catch up throughout the season. However, here we are on March 29th, just three days before Opening Day, and Manager Derek Shelton has yet to announce his Opening Day starter. Nobody on the Pirate's current roster has ever been named an Opening Day starter, but the Pirates are looking for someone to step up and get this young team some momentum. Last season, it was Joe Musgrove who got t...

Last week, Pittsburgh Pirates' left-hander Steven Brault suffered an injury to his throwing arm that has his Opening Day status in question. We look at how Brault's injury affects the Pirate's rotation and how things may shape up at the start of the 2021 season. Last week at this time, the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation looked pretty much set for Opening Day. Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, Tyler Anderson, and Mitch Keller looked to have locked up their spots with a slew of pitchers battling for the final rotation spot. However, an injury to Steven Brault last week may have just thrown a wrench into those starting rotation plans for the Pirates. Brault had to leave his last start after just two innings after dealing with tightness in his left latissimus muscle. The Pirates have not released any details about Brault's status, but with a week to go before the start of the season, it is concerning for the rotation. Luckily, the Pirates have the pitching depth t...

Last week, the Pittsburgh Pirates learned that they would be without their hotshot young reliever Blake Cederlind. Today, we look at how his injury changes the make-up of the Pirates bullpen heading into the 2021 season. Last season, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' biggest issues was how many times they were bit by the injury bug. They had a total of 11 men on the injured list by season's end, and we're hoping for better success in 2021. However, they have already lost their first pitcher of the year as it was discovered that Blake Cederlind suffered a strained UCL. He was placed on the 60-day Injured List and the Pirates are currently trying to decide what the next best step would be moving forward. Cederlind was supposed to be a big member of the Pirates bullpen, but now he is likely out for the season. With the loss of a top-notch reliever, the Pirates are going to have to shuffle some things around to fill the void. Luckily, unlike last season, the Pirates do...

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates added to their pitching depth when they signed free-agent right-hander Trevor Cahill. Cahill looks to bring veteran leadership to the pitching staff while eating some innings for other relievers in the bullpen. The Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff in 2021 features a lot of young guys who are making their way into the MLB. While the talent is there, there isn't a lot of experience to go with that talent. The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed this issue on Thursday when they signed free-agent right-hander Trevor Cahill to a one-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with performance bonuses. Cahill started his career out as a starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics but has since bounced around between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He brings with him 12 years of Big League experience and even in his age 33 season, he is showing that he can still be an effective reliever. In 2020, Trevor Cahill spent the year with the San Francisco Giants an...

Last season, the Pirates bullpen was up and down all season long and cost the Pirates some games throughout the year. Today's Free Agent Friday looks at a veteran option who could help in long-relief or the starting rotation. It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen was a big weakness for the team in 2020. The Pirates ranked 20th in the MLB with a bullpen ERA at 4.20, and it was up in the six's when the team was dealing with injuries at the beginning of the year. Heading to 2021, the Pirates have already lost some key pieces of last year's bullpen in Keone Kela and Nick Burdi, and are looking to get better in 2021. The Pirates have several back-end options heading into Spring Training, but one of the areas where they lack is in middle and long relief depth. If a reliever comes at the right price, General Manager Been Cherrington and his team may jump on it to help bolster the bullpen. One veteran on the market that is particularly intriguing to help t...