Buccos Cove

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a lot of young talent entering the 2021 season, but no one very experienced to lead the group. The Pirates added one of those wily veterans yesterday when they went out and signed infielder Todd Frazier to a Minor League deal. The theme of the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates surrounds building a core for the next winning Pittsburgh Pirates squad. Because of this, the Pirates feature a lot of young talent that are trying to cut their teeth at the Major League level. While these players possess a lot of talent, it is unproven talent and many of these players are going through their first MLB seasons. However the Pirates really had no proven talent on the team to help lead the young guys. The Pirates addressed that issue yesterday when they ended up signing Todd Frazier to a Minor League deal with an invite to Major League Spring Training. The deal will end up being worth 1.25 million dollars if Frazier makes the Big League club. Last season, Frazier split h...

One of the biggest questions of the last two off-seasons was whether or not Adam Frazier would be a Pirate at the start of the season. 2021 Spring Training is here, and Frazier is still a Pirate, so we look at what he has to offer in 2021. For the last two years, the rumors have been swirling that second baseman Adam Frazier would be traded before the season. Teams like the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have all shown interest and there were times where it looked like a deal was inevitable. Yet, here we stand on February 19th, 2021, and Adam Frazier is still in Black and Gold ready to enter Spring Training. He had a down year offensively last season, hitting .230 with seven home runs and 23 RBI, but many players across the league felt the same struggles. However, one thing Frazier hasn't lost is his ability to play second base, and several other positions, at a high level. He was named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at second base for the sec...

As Spring Training begins for all 30 MLB clubs this week, many of the top free agents are off the board and with their new teams. One man still looking for a home is Pittsburgh kid Neil Walker, and that home could be where it all started. In 2009, the Pittsburgh Pirates saw the emergence of a young second baseman by the name of Neil Walker. The Pirates had a good look at him even prior to his professional career when he played at Pine Richland high school and they drafted him 11th overall in the 2004 MLB draft. He had played his entire year in the organization, and finally had his shot to play in the stadium that he grew up going to games in. The Pirates knew he was going to be good, but it was time for the Pittsburgh kid to show his city what he could do. Walker would do his hometown proud, hitting .272 with 93 home runs and 418 RBI over seven seasons. However, Walker's time in Pittsburgh came to an end on December 9th, 2015, when the Pirates traded him to the New York...

One of the most interesting Pirates players entering camp this season is infielder Phillip Evans. He impressed Pirates fans with an impressive debut before breaking his jaw last season and is looking for a full-time spot on the roster once again in 2021. If you watched the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the season last year, there is no doubt you heard the name, Phillip Evans. The Pirates signed the former New York Mets product to a Minor League free agent deal last season and invited him to Big League Spring Training. He made a big impression on the coaches, hitting .333 with two home runs and nine RBI in 18 games, and ended up earning his first spot on an Opening Day roster. However, he would have to earn his playing time as a utility man like so many Pirates before him. He ended up playing right field, left field, third base, and first base for the Pirates and his bat kept him in the lineup. He hit .359 with a home run and nine RBI in his 11 game showing. Now that he is ful...

It's that time of year as the Pittsburgh Pirates converge on Bradenton, Florida for Spring Training 2021. With Spring Training games beginning a week from Sunday, we look at who might be toeing the rubber in the first exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball is finally back!! After four long months of wheeling and dealing, it is time for all 30 clubs to begin Spring Training. For the Pirates, that means covering on LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. This year's camp features a lot of bright young stars all looking to make an impression on Derek Shelton and his coaching staff. Shelton met with the media yesterday afternoon and was fired up to get back on the field with his team. He said, "We're back, and it's baseball, and it's something I know I've been waiting for all winter long." Coming off of a season where they went 19-41, the team is looking for improvement and looking to develop their future stats as Ben Cherington and ...

After all of the off-the-field distractions last season, Oneil Cruz is looking to put it all behind him and get back to baseball in 2021. The 6'7 infielder looks to finally break through to the Big Leagues and make an impact on the Pirates this season. The 2020-2021 off-season is one that Oneil Cruz probably wants to forget. It started with him being involved in a crash in the Dominican Republic that killed three people. There were thoughts that drunk driving was involved, and an investigation was launched, but it was discovered no alcohol was involved. He headed to the Dominican Winter League to get his mind off the events of the off-season and just get back to baseball. Now, with Spring Training kicking off this week, Cruz can officially focus on making his Big League Debut in 2021. Where that debut will happen is still in question, as the idea of both shortstop and outfield have both been bounced around. Last season, Cruz spent the year at the Pirates Alternate Train...

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed their first Major League free agent, bringing in left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson. Anderson brings experience and another lefty option to the Pirate's starting rotation. The Pittsburgh Pirates traded away two key members of their starting rotation as part of their rebuild this off-season, leaving many questions as to who will start for the Major League club. The Pirates began to address that question yesterday, signing veteran left-hander Tyler Anderson to a Major League deal. Anderson is a five-year MLB veteran and spent the 2020 season as a member of the San Francisco Giants rotation. He appeared in 13 games, 11 starts, for the Giants, and went 4-3 with a 4.37 ERA over 59.1 innings of work while walking 25 and striking out 41. For his career, he has gone 22-27 with a 4.65 ERA over his first five seasons between Colorado and San Francisco. Anderson isn't going to overpower anyone, but he has a five-pitch mix that he knows ...