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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 02.09.24
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Jason Mackey
12:21
Umm, no. I've talked to Paul about this. Dude is definitely not Hollywood. He's good people, trust me. He and Henry are the most mature young guys I've ever chatted with. Furthermore, Paul and Livvy seem very happy together based on what I observed in Bradenton when I went to see him.
Guest
12:21
The Altuve news got me thinking about who the next "forever Pirate" will be, what say you?
Jason Mackey
12:22
I honestly don't think we will see one. Think about how rare forever anything is in sports these days. But especially so when you think about baseball's economics and how the Pirates roll.
Dan
12:22
Are they working on a trade with the Marlins for a SP?  It seems like we have the players to pull off a trade.
Jason Mackey
12:23
They've talked, yes. Working on a trade? Might not be how I describe it. Makes it sound imminent. But there have been discussions.
Steven
12:23
Two things: 1) when are you headed down to Bradenton? 2) when watching spring training this year, who are some people to closely follow besides the usual (Skenes, Jones, Chandler, etc) - any sort of sleeper/under the radar guy that you think/hope will show something and potentially be apart of the team this year?
Jason Mackey
12:26
Monday morning, first off. Can't wait. ... I think many of the spots are set, honestly. But if we're talking prospects/younger guys, which I think you are, I'd suggest Termarr Johnson, Jack Brannigan and Matt Gorski among position players. Termarr is obvious. Brannigan is an underrated SS/3B out of Notre Dame. I think Gorski could have a solid year as well. ... Pitching-wise, Solometo is definitely one. Also curious about Thomas Harrington. Have not seen him throw much.
Nick G
12:26
Do I take step forward or get passed up by others in this middle inf logjam?
Jason Mackey
12:27
I don't think you're going to get passed by, Nick. But I worry that, at least at the start, you may lose out to Peggy. We'll see.
Graydon Whitcomb
12:27
Jason, if you were to audition on American Idol, what song would you sing?
Jason Mackey
12:28
Hmm ... never thought of this. And love it. I'll go Franklin's Tower. Feel like it's upbeat and show off some sort of vocal range. ... Non-Dead, maybe "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon.
Steven
12:28
Do you think the guys who avoided arbitration (Keller, Bednar) sign a legit extension before the season or has that sort of potential buzz died down?
Jason Mackey
12:29
There hasn't been much buzz either way, honestly. Been pretty quiet. Based on that, I'd say no on the extension. But I don't feel great about that answer because of the context surrounding it tends to change around spring.
Guest
12:29
Is Roansy almost guarenteed to be the 5th starter out of spring training (unless he sucks bad)? He has 0 options left and his competitors for the spot all have options remaining. He is one of the last 2 pieces remaining from the Taillon deal so I expect him to get some runway.
Jason Mackey
12:30
To a degree, maybe. But if he was what he was last year, they can't live with that for long. And they know it. Doesn't involve the Taillon trade as much as it does he was really good at one point. It's gotta be in there somewhere, right?
Steven
12:30
Who you got in the Super Bowl and why?
Jason Mackey
12:31
Chiefs. Because I wanna see what happens with Taylor & Travis. Oh, and because I think Mahomes is just too darn good. Niners won't be able to stop him.
Jordan Vlach
12:31
Should Ben Cherington be on the hotseat if the Pirates finish last in the division like most are projecting them to?
Jason Mackey
12:31
It depends on the context. How many wins? Do prospects perform? But ... I think you certainly need to start asking some critical questions if they go backwards from 74 and finish last, absolutely.
Scott
12:31
Seeing what the “small market” Royals did with Witt Jr,  any chance the Pirates do the same thing with Cruz?   Will he be ready fully recovered for Spring Training?
Jason Mackey
12:32
He's fully recovered, yes. That's not a concern. I find it hard to believe with Cruz given the dollars that have already been committed to Hayes and Reynolds and how far away I've heard the two sides are.
Jason
12:32
Hate to be that guy and put a number on it, especially since hearing about payroll is so tiring. But projections have the Pirates around roughly 75M right now I believe. Where do you think the number is at on Opening Day?
Jason Mackey
12:33
Last I saw was $79 million. I think it will be a hair over $80 million. It's about what I expected earlier on this offseason. A modest increase over last year.
Ben C
12:33
Just woke up. Should we sign a pitcher or do you think a 3 man rotation is fine?
Jason Mackey
12:33
I know you weren't sleeping. But, no, a three-man rotation is not OK.
anon
12:34
Hey Jason, hope you are well. Just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting and the roster still falls woefully short They've talked all offseason - heck as far back as August, about how badly they wanted to win and what the goals were for 2024, then they doubled down at Pirates fest, even sprinkling in some talk winning the division. Now we sit here still talking about if they'll make a significant addition to this rotation days away from the start of camp.

Do they want this or don't they and are they just too scared of the level of commitment it would actually take to improve this team in FA or trade? Getting tired of the actions not lining up with the words the past, well, forever.
Jason Mackey
12:35
I know. Familiar question here. Believe they've added Wily Peralta and Brett Honeywell since they said they thought they could win the division. Pretty sure the Brewers added Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sanchez. Maybe more. That said, technically they do have time. But they do need to do something soon.
Insanty
12:35
Is the Pirates lack of success in free agency Ben Cherington's fault or are the Pirates such an unappealling destination?
Jason Mackey
12:36
I don't know, honestly. I don't know how to assign percentages to each since I'm not involved with discussions. But, the equation is basically that the Pirates, due to being an unappealing destination, would have to overpay to get players. They ... don't overpay for much/anything. So, assign blame where you see fit.
Jake S
12:36
Is the FO in panic mode yet? It seems like they had big plans for the offseason but nearly every player they have interest in goes the opposite direction
Jason Mackey
12:37
Yeah, I don't know if I would say panic mode. I think there's some frustration, sure. I also think they need to take a chance here with a trade. That could solve a lot of fan frustration stuff.
PrinceBob
12:37
I read last night that your old pal Yasiel Puig has played well in the Carribean League, a scout said he's better than 70% of current major leaguers, teammates and managers say he has matured and is a different person. And he is staying in Miami hoping to sign with an MLB team. Do you a) think that will happen, b) if so, with whom, and c) if it does not happen or takes some time doing it how many mailbag questions will you get asking why the Pirates don't go after him?
Jason Mackey
12:38
Ha. More Yasiel Puig questions! Yes. We're back to normal. I could see someone giving him a chance on a minors deal, sure. Will it be the Pirates? I doubt it. But if he's productive, why the heck not?
Matt
12:38
What are the chances the pirates are waiting until they can add players to the 60 day IL to make additional moves?
Jason Mackey
12:38
I don't think that's been the holdup whatsoever.
Jordan Vlach
12:38
How “in” were the Pirates on Gary Sanchez?
Jason Mackey
12:39
Hard to describe degrees. I also think that "interest" stuff is nonsense. I'm interested in hitting the Powerball. Am I gonna do it? I don't think it was super close is I guess what I'm saying.
Punx Phil
12:39
How much did the possibility of covering spring training for a living impact your decision in choosing a major in college? That's got to be one sweet gig!
Jason Mackey
12:39
Not at all. I never considered writing until I was a senior in college. I always wanted to be on-air, like Brownie or Pomp. Ha. But, yeah. Spring training does rock.
Jefferson
12:40
Fair or Foul? The current payroll sits at $77M. Goal is $85-$90M with $100M as a sweet destination. The Pirates have more than enough room to acquire a young controllable SP via trade or FA, sign a platoon for Tellez at 1B and a Catcher. Don't get why fans are so down on the team.
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