The Pirates announced Thursday evening that they’ve signed outfielder J.B. Shuck to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. Pittsburgh also announced its previously reported minor league deal with righty Brandon Maurer.
Shuck, 31, has bounced all over the league since being a sixth-round pick of the Astros back in 2008, spending time at the MLB level with the ’Stros, Angels, White Sox, Indians and, most recently, the Marlins. The journeyman is a lifetime .244/.294/.316 hitter with eight homers, 39 doubles, nine triples and 24 steals in 1232 Major League plate appearances. He spent the 2018 campaign in the Marlins organization and tallied 142 plate appearances at the big league level, hitting .192/.255/.231.
While he’s never found much in the way of big league success, Shuck has a solid track record in Triple-A and figures to head there if he doesn’t break camp with the Bucs. He’s a .294/.367/.388 hitter in parts of eight Triple-A campaigns (2244 PAs) and has ample experience at all three outfield positions, though he’s spent much more time in center (3097 innings) and in left (4083 innings) than in right (1580 innings).
Your move NL central
Once you go Schmuck, you never go shucks.
I thought Manny Machado and Bryce Herper were going to pla this year?
pla or play?
place, doofus
Never been more than a AAAA player, but has always show great hustle! Shuck will give 110% even just running out a grounder.
They wouldn’t sign Galvis because they already have one in Gonzalez so they go and sign Suck instead
Holy crap, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 3 minor league deals in 1 day? This is unheard of.
Pirates are putting the NL Central on notice. Cards, you get Goldschmidt? Well we got Shuck.
Reds get Puig? We got Brandon Maurer.
Cubs rolling with Bryant and Rizzo? Well, Jung Ho Kang’s gonna run them down (almost literally).
Bob Nutting: the businessman, the myth, the legend.
I can’t like this enough. I almost want to flag the comment so at least someone will actually read it… after all it is on a J.B. Schuck thread.
Bob Nutting: A True Intellectual
This.
Pirates think they got a steal. They are going to be pissed when Brandon Morrow doesn’t walk through the door!
Pirates came into this season with 3 serious needs. A starting pitcher, a shortstop, and a temporary right fielder. They did good signing Chisenhall, good move for them. But they addressed shortstop with Erik Gonzalez and starting pitcher with Jordan Lyles.
Seriously, what are the Pirates doing? Payroll is estimated to be $70mil. There’s no excuse they couldn’t make better improvements to a team that’s really not that bad.
As somebody whose watched a ton of Cleveland baseball, the Chisenhall signing was not good. Watch how a calf injury on April 3rd will limit Chiz to 12 plate appearances for all of 2019.
The Pirates should trade Jose Osuna. He makes too much money.
Nah, they should trade their AAA third string catcher. Makes way too much. If we salary dump him, it’ll be beneficial to the overall payroll and focus on the team.
On a happy note, those expensive Lexus Club seats behind home plate with food included have been rebranded as the Kia Bleachers for 2019.
Meh
Well shucks….
You have to give the Pirates credit though, they have signed 3 players this year to major league contracts…. 3 more than last off season
If I were I Pirates fan I’d be in the stands with a Pirates banner that says, “Go Pirates, even though we Shuck!”
Post of the day
They used to have a motto in the minors… embrace the suck. No joke
has over twice as many hits as strikeouts
Good on ya for pointing that out troll…ya never know what the kid could surprise some eyes in steel city. He’ll stay up in the MLB club if an injury happens and guess it’ll be a good fit. I can totally picture it. Wish him the best and w that motor he deserves a shot on that and his track record…..
I’d still like to see Adam Jones in a Pittsburgh uni too since they’ve been scooping people up.
Go Bucs!!!!!
I remember JB Shuck waiving to a Cub fan and acting like he was going to throw the young fan a ball. He ended up faking the throw and running to the dugout with it. I never really liked him much after that.
Lotsa Schuck-ed up remarks in this thread……
J.B. Shuck of former Angels fame! WooHoo!
this is awesome. can’t wait for last place
Ya, this hasn’t been a memorable off season for the Bucs. The Cubs figure to be better (that offense isn’t THAT bad, is it?) Everybody’s sleeping on the Brewers; I have no idea why. Goldy makes the Cards better by walking into the locker room, never mind what he does on the field. The Reds are improved; how much? That we can argue.
But Pitt just sits there…..doesn’t make much sense. They paid a decent price for Archer last summer; if they were going to toss in the towel this winter, why bother?
Hard to figure……
Would love to have him on a team of youngsters, literally plays 150% 100% of the time. Love watching him on the angels .
Gotta say it. Awww Schucks.
Well Shucks.
Shuck it
Oh no we Shuck again!!!
Just what they need, another 4A player. I can almost guarantee this guy will see significant time in the majors this year even after Polanco returns. And Hurdle won’t be able to resist throwing him in the lineup a few times a week. His career stats kinda remind me of neck lips.
Shucks!
For me there is no other.
You’re the only shoe that fits
I can’t imagine I’ll grow out of it