Colin Beazley's Pirates chat: 08.18.26
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Colin Beazley
11:31
Good morning and welcome to another live Pirates chat! I'm a year older since the last time I answered your questions — hopefully I'm wiser, too. Thanks for rolling with chatting a little earlier than usual. Let's get this started...
Jeff M.
11:32
Hi Colin, do you think MLB owners already know what baseball will look like next season? Even if takes a lockout and missed year to get what they want.
Colin Beazley
11:35
Hi Jeff. I think they have ideas of what they want (a salary cap, etc), but no one -- not the owners, players, Manfred, ballboys, anyone -- actually knows what baseball will look like next year. Major league baseball won't be played until there's an agreement on the CBA, which will require compromise on both sides. Maybe that's compromise that includes the players agreeing to a salary cap (unlikely). Maybe that's compromise that includes a salary floor and no cap (also unlikely). But both sides are going to have to give up something for baseball to be played again.
Jeff M.
11:35
Do you think GMBC will survive another non-playoff & losing season?
Aces High
11:35
What a disappointing second half so far. Do you feel the Bucs need wholesale changes in the GM, Pitching Coach, and Manager after this debacle of a second half?
Colin Beazley
11:39
Honestly, I'm really not sure what the Pirates will do or should do.

On one hand, they said playoffs were the goal "period. Full stop." If that doesn't happen -- which looks extremely unlikely at this point -- then some level of accountability demands firings.

On the other hand, you can make the argument that this team is on a better trajectory, some good decisions were made this year and some better health would have led to the playoffs. (I'm not saying that, only saying that they could.) And with all the uncertainty of this offseason, it's not exactly a great time for a new GM to come in. And there is a lot of talent coming back!
11:43
I don't know. I think I'd say that, if this is in fact another losing season (which looks more and more likely by the day), then some change needs to be made.

Maybe that means Bill Murphy is scapegoated, though after Matt Hague was kept last year, I doubt Murphy would only get one year. I don't think Don Kelly is the issue either. That leaves Ben Cherington, who had a decent offseason and deadline.

At some point, something needs to change. Not sure who that should be. Hopefully I'll have some better answers as I'm sure we'll hear this question plenty over the next few weeks.
Matt from Davidson NC
11:43
What do you think of Don ‘We’ve got to find a way’ Kelly?
Colin Beazley
11:48
To me, a manager's biggest job is maintaining clubhouse culture and keeping a group of highly paid, highly competitive men focused on baseball instead of everything else. The players play, the front office assembles the team, and at this point, the vast majority of decisions are informed by data (as they should be -- use research to your advantage). The manager leads and deals with a ton of little things -- the media, managing coaches, managing personalities, the front office, etc etc etc.

To me, there's a major difference how this team is functioning under Kelly to the end days of Derek Shelton. Yes, decisions are similar, the numbers are the same. But the other things are far better. That's why, to me, Don Kelly isn't the issue.
Minogue
11:48
If the Pirates are trying to win games why wouldn't you have Cruz in the line up last night? Crazy!
Colin Beazley
11:49
Up until this year, Cruz struggled badly against left-handers. I don't blame the Pirates for having him sit against Valdez. I'm sure he'll start today.
Dan
11:49
Cruz goes 3 for 22 with 7 strikeouts in a rehab assignment in (mainly) Altoona and Indy. Come on man. The guy clearly doesn’t have it anymore. So you demote Simon and you’ll obviously take playing time away from our best hitter Mangum, who is also a significantly better defensive player than Cruz. Does this make sense to anyone??
Colin Beazley
11:52
Disagree with a couple things in here. For one, rehab stats aren't that important. Sure, you'd like to see him go 22 for 22, but the Pirates aren't making decisions on that. And Jake Mangum is a fantastic fourth outfielder, but I certainly wouldn't call him the Pirates best hitter.

That said, I do hope we see some more DH days for Cruz. Now that that spot's open, the Pirates have more flexibility to keep the bat in the lineup without the glove.
Matt from Davidson NC
11:52
Do you agree that Nick Gonzales, although a good singles hitter, is the worst fielding infielder in baseball?Jacob Gonzales  & Mlodzinski are scrubs. It’s unbelievable Mlodzinski had the audacity to gripe about going to the bullpen. And it’s ridiculous Cruz has taken so long to come back from his hand injury. Predicting he performs terribly when inserted back into lineup.
Colin Beazley
11:54
Gonzales hasn't been good enough defensively. Hand injuries are bizarre. I've heard it's healed, but he'll likely still have to deal with swelling over the next few weeks, yet it's healed?
11:55
Strange injury that Cruz has had to deal with.
The Dude
11:56
Well now that it is clearly over, what should the Pirates do for the remainder of the season? Shut down Skenes? Forget about Carmen as a starter? Showcase Cruz to get ready to move him?
demosthenes98
11:58
Is there any reason why the experiment with Carmen Mlodzinski as a starter SHOULDN'T end, or, if necessary, be ended?
Connor
11:58
Should the pirates shut Skenes down for the season if his start on Wednesday does not go well?
Carmen Mlodzinski
11:58
Do you have any feel for whether they are going to use Mlodzinski as a starter for the remainder of the season? Could they be waiting until Sept call ups?
Colin Beazley
12:01
Some of these Qs are linked, so I'll answer together:

I disagree with my colleague Noah's article that Skenes should be shut down -- if, and only if, he is in fact healthy like he says he is. Yes, he's not getting better, but there's value in making 32 starts and knowing what you need to do in the offseason to be ready to make 32+ starts next year. Clearly, this offseason's work didn't have their intended results. Work on things in September and go into the offseason with a better plan.

I'm over the Mlodzinski starter experiment. I don't see a reason for him to get a fourth start. I'm fine with him being part of a bullpen game, but having him actually start it just isn't working. I'd rather see Antwone Kelly/Wilber Dotel/Hunter Barco/Khristian Curtis get experience.
12:02
That said, no idea why Mlodzinski is so good in three inning relief appearances and so bad in three inning starts. I really don't have an answer for it, but something needs to be fixed.
Tony Soprano
12:02
Whatever happened to Kristian Curtis? Guy came up, shut down CLE and hasn’t had another opportunity. Given Mlod’s last two starts, I’d certainly be up to him pitching next time out in SD as opposed to Carmen.
Colin Beazley
12:04
Curtis hit the 7-day injured list in Indianapolis after his first minor league appearance after Cleveland. Was told it was side discomfort. His first outing off the IL was short, but I'd expect him to get another look. Maybe they'll let him stretch out for one more turn through, then we see Curtis in St Louis?
demosthenes98
12:05
At what point in the season do the Pirates' players start to tune out and move on? Is it when Steelers training camp opens, the way it is for fans? Or is it later or <shudders> earlier?
Colin Beazley
12:06
Hi demosthenes. Missed you these last two weeks.

I don't get the sense this team is checked out. It's a very different feeling than this point last year, even if the playoff odds are only marginally better.
demosthenes98
12:06
When they head to the places where they spend the offseason, do the Pirates' players admit to the locals that they work for Bob Nutting? Or do they just say that they play Major League Baseball (to the extent that the Pirates count as a major league team) and exit conversations very quickly afterward?
Colin Beazley
12:08
Doesn't everyone say they work where they're employed instead of they work for a certain person? If I worked at Subway, I'd say I work at Subway, not I'm employed by Roark Global Capital managing partner Neil K. Aronson.
No idea why that was the example I picked.
demosthenes98
12:08
Last week, Paul Skenes said, "I don't know exactly why we're not playing up to that standard right now." Aren't they, though? Given that, as your colleague Noah Hiles pointed out, late-season collapses are what the Pirates do best, is there not a case to be made that they are, in fact, playing up [or down] to the Bob Nutting standard?
Colin Beazley
12:09
The standard was supposed to be a playoff team. They're not hitting that standard.
JamesWV
12:10
Well Colin, once again there won’t be any October baseball and once again the September games will be relatively meaningless. If this was Survivor, who amongst the players, coaches or front office would be voted off the island?
Colin Beazley
12:13
Well it depends on who has idols and who has immunity. Maybe that's why some have lasted so long...

I do think you could argue that a productive offseason, better performance from the starting pitchers, better health and better usage of the $20m Ozuna/Soto money (Soto has been fine, but I don't think he'll be re-signed) can get this team to the playoffs.

But again, at some point, some changes have to be made. I just don't know where that should be.
Greg
12:13
Have to wonder about Temarr Johnson's future with the Pirates. His performance since being drafted 4th overall in 2022 has been pedestrian, at best, Now that he's sidelined until next spring, at the earliest, with a severe knee injury, how much additional leeway will he be given? He's not a kid anymore and has yet to put up numbers befitting a 4A player. What say you?
Jeff M
12:13
Is a team more likely to take Johnson in the rule 5 draft if they can stash him on the IL for most of the season?
Colin Beazley
12:16
For what it's worth, I'd written that Termarr would be sidelined until next spring at the earliest. Given what we heard from Dr Tomczyk yesterday, I'm confident it'll be much more than six months.

Right now, he hasn't even been a good AAA player. I'm not entirely out on him, but I wouldn't use a 40-man spot on him. I doubt someone else will. Just have no idea what he'll come back as, especially given he's struggled while healthy this year.

He's still 22, so he'll have opportunities once healthy. But I don't think he's someone that other teams will be clamoring to pick up.
Jim G
12:16
I may have missed it, but have there been any updates on the expected returns for O'Hearn, Griffin and Rodriguez?  I assume Cruz will be in the lineup tonight, correct?
Colin Beazley
12:17
Yes, wrote about that yesterday. Here's the link. Short of it was good news for O'Hearn and Griffin, second opinion coming for Endy. And yes, I expect Cruz to start tonight.
Pittfan
12:18
Hi Colin. Is it possible Skenes is holding back in an effort to preserve his arm, a business decision if you will. Needing Tommy John surgery could certainly delay his half a billion dollar payday. This is not an indictment on Skenes, and with the current state of baseball I certainly wouldn't blame him. If that may be the case, is it time for the Pirates to consider trading him?
Colin Beazley
12:20
Hi Pittfan. I think Paul Skenes made changes to his mechanics and arsenal, including a decrease in velocity, to protect his health. I do not think he is intentionally pitching worse or babying pitches.

I do not think this is the time to trade Skenes. His value will be higher once he starts pitching better. The new CBA could give the Pirates a better chance to keep him, too.
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