Bucco Ball
@buccoball.bsky.social
A Pittsburgh Pirates blog — watching the Bucs so you don’t have to https://buccoball.wordpress.com/
The Pirates appeared to put a capstone on their offseason with the signing of Marcell Ozuna. I have some thoughts: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/b...
Bucs continue lineup overhaul with Marcell Ozuna
Photo by Ian D’Andrea. After adding Brandon Lowe via trade and Ryan O’Hearn through a multi-year free agent signing, the Pirates had taken two promising steps toward overhauling one of …
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:49 PM
The Pirates appeared to put a capstone on their offseason with the signing of Marcell Ozuna. I have some thoughts: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/b...
Marcell Ozuna was the best bat available on the free agent market — but I have mixed feelings about him joining the Pirates buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/b...
Bucs continue lineup overhaul with Marcell Ozuna
Photo by Ian D’Andrea. After adding Brandon Lowe via trade and Ryan O’Hearn through a multi-year free agent signing, the Pirates had taken two promising steps toward overhauling one of …
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Marcell Ozuna was the best bat available on the free agent market — but I have mixed feelings about him joining the Pirates buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/b...
Jack Suwinski you will love Sugarland
February 10, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Jack Suwinski you will love Sugarland
The Pirates added a potentially big bat on Monday in Marcell Ozuna. But it's an uncomfortable fit for the roster in more ways than one.
Bucs continue lineup overhaul with Marcell Ozuna
Photo by Ian D'Andrea. After adding Brandon Lowe via trade and Ryan O'Hearn through a multi-year free agent signing, the Pirates had taken two promising steps toward overhauling one of the worst lineups in the National League — and it wasn't even Christmas. It was a promising start to an important offseason, one in which the Bucs were appearing to make good on their promise to invest in the roster.
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:05 PM
The Pirates added a potentially big bat on Monday in Marcell Ozuna. But it's an uncomfortable fit for the roster in more ways than one.
- domestic violence charges
- offense dropped off massively last year
- makes the team worse defensively
- ends Cutch’s Pirates career
- offense dropped off massively last year
- makes the team worse defensively
- ends Cutch’s Pirates career
February 9, 2026 at 2:04 PM
- domestic violence charges
- offense dropped off massively last year
- makes the team worse defensively
- ends Cutch’s Pirates career
- offense dropped off massively last year
- makes the team worse defensively
- ends Cutch’s Pirates career
The Pirates finally made a move last week, but I think fans were hoping for something bigger buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/b...
Bucs add José Urquidy on what is technically a MLB deal
No, I can’t be bothered to find a photo of Urquidy. Photo by Dan Gaken. I have a general rule that I do not write blog posts about minor-league signings. This is a rule I have broken from tim…
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The Pirates finally made a move last week, but I think fans were hoping for something bigger buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/b...
We Showed the Super Bowl Ads to Don Draper and He Killed Himself
February 9, 2026 at 1:08 AM
We Showed the Super Bowl Ads to Don Draper and He Killed Himself
Alright, I'll write about José Urquidy. Damn.
Bucs add José Urquidy on what is technically a MLB deal
No, I can't be bothered to find a photo of Urquidy. Photo by Dan Gaken. I have a general rule that I do not write blog posts about minor-league signings. This is a rule I have broken from time to time, particularly during those slow offseasons earlier in the decade when the winters were so devoid of news that I was looking for any reason to sit down in front of my laptop.
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Alright, I'll write about José Urquidy. Damn.
The Pirates needed a great offseason to become a playoff contender. So far it's been merely good, and the Bucs are running out of time to change that: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/03/a...
A good winter versus a great one
Photo by the Pittsburgh Pirates. “We’re looking in 2026 to make the playoffs. Period. Full stop. We did not want to veer from that. We’re pushing it all in to make sure we’r…
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The Pirates needed a great offseason to become a playoff contender. So far it's been merely good, and the Bucs are running out of time to change that: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/03/a...
The Pirates have gotten better — but if the goal for 2026 is playoffs or bust, they still haven't reached that level. And the opportunity to add that final bat who would have put them over the edge appears to have passed buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/03/a...
A good winter versus a great one
Photo by the Pittsburgh Pirates. “We’re looking in 2026 to make the playoffs. Period. Full stop. We did not want to veer from that. We’re pushing it all in to make sure we’r…
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:59 PM
The Pirates have gotten better — but if the goal for 2026 is playoffs or bust, they still haven't reached that level. And the opportunity to add that final bat who would have put them over the edge appears to have passed buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/02/03/a...
Overall, it's been a good offseason for the Bucs. But if the team wanted to go from 71 wins to a true postseason contender, they needed to have a great one.
A good winter versus a great one
Photo by the Pittsburgh Pirates. "We're looking in 2026 to make the playoffs. Period. Full stop. We did not want to veer from that. We're pushing it all in to make sure we're able to make the playoffs in 2026." That was team president Travis Williams, verbatim, on September 30 — a couple of days after the Pirates had concluded their sixth consecutive losing season under his watch.
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Overall, it's been a good offseason for the Bucs. But if the team wanted to go from 71 wins to a true postseason contender, they needed to have a great one.
Pirates fare a little better here than in the ZiPS projected standings released last week:
February 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Pirates fare a little better here than in the ZiPS projected standings released last week:
The Pirates did not land Eugenio Suárez. If they're serious about upgrading the lineup, they'll now have to turn to the trade market. I have some ideas, but the pickings are slim: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
Ranking the Pirates’ trade options
Last week, I made an unorthodox trade proposal: the Pirates should try to acquire Anthony Santander from the Blue Jays, for either a couple of prospects or salary relief (or both). Santander, I wro…
buccoball.wordpress.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:54 PM
The Pirates did not land Eugenio Suárez. If they're serious about upgrading the lineup, they'll now have to turn to the trade market. I have some ideas, but the pickings are slim: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
Probably the worst possible outcome
Slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez has agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds after a frustrating winter on the free-agent market.
February 1, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Probably the worst possible outcome
The reason people are nostalgic for 2016 is that they miss being young. Also maybe Rihanna
January 30, 2026 at 4:05 PM
The reason people are nostalgic for 2016 is that they miss being young. Also maybe Rihanna
Reposted by Bucco Ball
Rest in peace to one of the great bloggers and the de facto mayor of Philadelphia. It was my honor and pleasure to work with him. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Dan McQuade, 1983–2026 | Defector
Dan McQuade, our friend and colleague, died this week at the age of 43. He is survived by his wife and young son. At the end of 2024, Dan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. The news of his diag...
defector.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Rest in peace to one of the great bloggers and the de facto mayor of Philadelphia. It was my honor and pleasure to work with him. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
What are the Bucs to do about Andrew McCutchen? buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/i...
It would be nice to bring back Andrew McCutchen
Yes, I know this is an old photo. Photo by Blackngold29. Another PiratesFest has come and gone, and this year the Pirates avoided the embarrassments that have plagued this event of late. There was …
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:52 PM
What are the Bucs to do about Andrew McCutchen? buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/i...
Gen Z doesn’t like Harry Potter because it sucks
January 27, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Gen Z doesn’t like Harry Potter because it sucks
Andrew McCutchen wants to be a Pirate in 2026, but the Pirates aren't so sure. I have some thoughts on what the Bucs should do with the former MVP:
It would be nice to bring back Andrew McCutchen
Yes, I know this is an old photo. Photo by Blackngold29. Another PiratesFest has come and gone, and this year the Pirates avoided the embarrassments that have plagued this event of late. There was no misspelling of a player's name, no giving away baseballs signed by Heath Hembree, and the management Q&A — usually the only aspect of PiratesFest that produces any news — mostly went off without a hitch.
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Andrew McCutchen wants to be a Pirate in 2026, but the Pirates aren't so sure. I have some thoughts on what the Bucs should do with the former MVP:
The Pirates need to add another bat — other than Cutch — and if they don't sign Suárez, they'll need to make a trade. I have some suggestions: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
Ranking the Pirates’ trade options
Last week, I made an unorthodox trade proposal: the Pirates should try to acquire Anthony Santander from the Blue Jays, for either a couple of prospects or salary relief (or both). Santander, I wro…
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The Pirates need to add another bat — other than Cutch — and if they don't sign Suárez, they'll need to make a trade. I have some suggestions: buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
As the last impact bat on the free agent market, it's now Suárez or bust buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/s...
Suárez or bust?
After two weeks of mysterious tweets, trolling, vague guessing from unsourced accounts, and reports that the Pirates were interested but not optimistic, Kazuma Okamoto ended the speculation ahead o…
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:51 PM
As the last impact bat on the free agent market, it's now Suárez or bust buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/s...
The Bucs need another bat. And if they can't land Suárez, they'll need to turn to the trade market. Here are their best options for improving the lineup through a trade buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
Ranking the Pirates’ trade options
Last week, I made an unorthodox trade proposal: the Pirates should try to acquire Anthony Santander from the Blue Jays, for either a couple of prospects or salary relief (or both). Santander, I wro…
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:02 PM
The Bucs need another bat. And if they can't land Suárez, they'll need to turn to the trade market. Here are their best options for improving the lineup through a trade buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/r...
The Pirates still need another hitter, and if they aren't willing to sign Eugenio Suárez, they will need to turn to the trade market. Pulling off such a trade won't be easy, but I nonetheless tried to rank the Bucs' best options:
Ranking the Pirates’ trade options
Last week, I made an unorthodox trade proposal: the Pirates should try to acquire Anthony Santander from the Blue Jays, for either a couple of prospects or salary relief (or both). Santander, I wrote, was a potential bounce-back candidate who can swing it from both sides of the plate. He'd give the Pirates a real corner outfielder to put in left (or swap places with Bryan Reynolds in right) and, most crucially, he'd give the Pirates another everyday bat that's still missing from the lineup.
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:03 PM
The Pirates still need another hitter, and if they aren't willing to sign Eugenio Suárez, they will need to turn to the trade market. Pulling off such a trade won't be easy, but I nonetheless tried to rank the Bucs' best options:
In fairness, about 97% of the players also believe this
January 16, 2026 at 2:24 PM
In fairness, about 97% of the players also believe this
The Blue Jays might sign a major corner outfielder as a free agent today, which would make the one they signed last year redundant. Perhaps the Pirates might be interested in acquiring this spare outfielder buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/14/a...
An unorthodox trade proposal
We’ve reached the part of the offseason where things start to slow down around baseball — and this year, that includes the Pirates. Usually, it’s hard to say there’s a “slow…
buccoball.wordpress.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The Blue Jays might sign a major corner outfielder as a free agent today, which would make the one they signed last year redundant. Perhaps the Pirates might be interested in acquiring this spare outfielder buccoball.wordpress.com/2026/01/14/a...