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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 03.18.20
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Jason Mackey
11:53
Hi folks. Welcome to my weekly chat. Thanks for participating. We'll get going around noon.
Rick Sunner in Orlando
12:03
Hey Jason! If this is a truly rebuilding season,why don't the Bucs keep Tucker with the Big club and start him at short to see if he is the future there; move Newman to second and put Frazier at third for a better defensive lineup. Then at the trade deadline, move Moran or Frazier for future pieces. What say you?
Jason Mackey
12:03
And away we go ...
12:05
Hey Rick. I would not move Frazier, who was a Gold Glove finalist at second base last year, then look to move him. That's not how that works. I would look to move him, for sure, but I'd want to increase his value by keeping him at second base, not moving him and potentially ruining the progress he made. Also, Kevin Newman earned the right to play last year, not the right to be moved to second base because someone who has never consistently hit major league pitching can play every day. (And I really like Cole Tucker; he simply hasn't done enough yet to displace Newman, and he'd be the first to tell you that.)
While this year should be about rebuilding or progress or getting better -- I don't care what you call it -- I don't see how the moves you suggested make sense; they merely complicate the equation.
Les
12:06
I love the Pirates but how can I continue being a fan of the team when there is little or no effort in spending the money to one day possibly being a contender?? It's so frustrating!!
Jason Mackey
12:08
I don't know, Les. It's not my job to convince you to be a Pirates fan. That's a personal thing. If you're put off by their lack of spending, root for someone who spends. I understand why they believe they're a small-market team and agree with it to an extent, although I've said many times here, I, too, wish they were spending more. Or, if they can't, I wish Nutting would sell to someone who is willing to plunk more of his own cash down on the major league product. That being said, a failure to spend does not mean you automatically stink. Plenty of other MLB clubs are doing the small-market thing much better than the Pirates have of late.
12:09
***Should also add that I like this new regime. I think the Pirates have a very good chance of looking more like the Rays or A's with Cherington/Sanders/Shelton/Kelly/Marin in place than they were before.
marty v
12:09
Can MLB and other owners force Nutting to spend more $$ and try to be competitive?
Jason Mackey
12:10
They could try and institute a salary cap or floor, which I think they should do. But given the current rules that are in place -- read: not very many -- no. As much as it angers people in Pittsburgh, he's not breaking any rules. It's Major League Baseball's economic system -- whacked out as it is -- that it allows for this stuff. I don't think Nutting is pocketing money hand over fist the way many perceive, but I also think there should be only so low (and high) teams should be allowed to go.
Jeff
12:11
thanks for the chats...when we do start playing ball again what rule changes will be in place and have the most impact?  Never sure which ones they test in spring training versus those that apply to regular season
Jason Mackey
12:12
Hey Jeff. My pleasure. I think the three-batter rule would have the most impact; however, I'm curious to see what rule changes look like when they do start playing games again. The three-batter minimum seems like a big ask for pitching staffs that might have to get ready in a hurry. Similarly, I'll be curious to see if they permit larger rosters to cover for pitchers who are maybe only built up for 3-4 innings. I think there's a great deal that could be new, honestly.
Sean Tischler
12:12
Jason, do you think there is a point where Nutting gets enough pressure from the fanbase to actually spend money and try to win?  I've heard in the past he's the 10th richest owner and clearly has the shortest arms and deepest pockets I can ever recall.  It's got to be especially difficult with the Pens & Steelers being at the very top of well run organizations who strive to win in all of sports.  Also, doesn't it make it incredibly depressing to cover this joke of a team?
Jason Mackey
12:14
Hi, Sean. To your second point: not at all. It's such a misconception among fans that beat writers are also fans. We're not. They win, we write. They lose, we write. Trust me, it gets beaten out of you pretty quickly because this becomes work. I think we should always maintain a sense of awe or amazement and try our best to think like a fan, but I honestly don't care what the Pirates do, the same as I didn't care what the Penguins do. I just want to avoid rain delays, overtime/extra innings and late lead changes. Those three things complicate my job, not whether the Pirates fail to spend money or the Penguins give up a bunch of odd-man rushes.
12:16
The only thing that changes is the way you cover the team. With Penguins fans, yinz are happy and want to read about all the good things happening over there. Cool. I've found that people still care a great deal about the Pirates, too. Our web numbers and the participation in this chat bear that out, even though I hear often that they don't care. Anyway, Pirates fans are pissed. They want the coverage to be more critical -- and I get why. But it has nothing to do on my end with wins and losses. It's more about knowing your audience.
12:17
On Nutting, my sense is he learned his lesson from the last time the Pirates were good. They need to do more to sustain winning than they did in 2013-15. They need to evolve. I truly believe that once Cherington/Shelton/etc. get this turned around, Nutting will spend. You might disagree on that being the right order of operations here, and I can't disagree with you. But I do think he will legitimately try to grow the payroll with this group.
Bill
12:17
When the season starts if Brault is healthy, do you see him being the LH out of the bullpen and Holland to the rotation?
Jason Mackey
12:19
Interesting question, Bill. I think I do, yeah. I guess almost by default, just because, all things being equal, yeah, Holland was better in spring training. But I do think pitching staffs might be different with the new constraints here. Maybe it makes sense to use a six-man rotation and only pitch guys 3-4 innings, at least to start. Will be interesting to hear what Shelton has to say on the topic tomorrow.
Colts Corral
12:19
Be honest. Bob Nutting wouldn't have paid the out of work workers if MLB didn't force him ? He doesn't care about them
Jason Mackey
12:20
I think he and the Pirates would have done something. I think Bob Nutting is extremely cautious with his purchases. I think maybe too cautious in some cases, especially for an owner of a pro sports teams, a guy fans look to to act out of emotion and take some chances that someone in the business world probably wouldn't take. But he's not the heartless [person] many people think he is."
Colts Corral
12:20
Pirates still lose 100+ even with the May start ?
Jason Mackey
12:21
I don't think so, but you may want to temper all of the enthusiasm you're bringing to this space today, Colts Corral. I'm afraid it may be rubbing off on others.
Shawn
12:21
I mean, are we kinda kidding ourselves thinking there's going to be baseball this year?
Jason Mackey
12:22
I think there will be baseball this year. Even if they start in July, shoot, you could still play 81 and have playoffs. Plus, I'm just refusing to think like that. Maybe I'm idiot -- which I prove out in other ways, too -- but I want to believe that we're gonna get back to normal sooner rather than later.
Shawn
12:22
Also, while it's a nice gesture, but does $1 million really even make a dent in lost wages for ballpark employees?
Jason Mackey
12:25
Yes. I would think so. Let's say there are 500 people who work at PNC Park, to whom this money is headed. That's $2,000 per person. A June start would mean 26 home games lost. Get about $77/game. (It's probably more toward $100, but still). My point is that, yeah, I do think it'll make a dent.
Colts Corral
12:25
So after they trade Bell does Bob Nutting become the face of the franchise ?
Jason Mackey
12:26
Nutting is already the face of the franchise in some ways, and it's too bad for the players, for people like Bell and Jameson Taillon, Joe Musgrove, Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman, etc. If they were better and spent more, people could focus on them instead of him, which is how it should be.
Terry Martin-Bucs Fan in GA
12:26
Jason, Appreciate your time and efforts regarding our Battling Buccos! I am really pumped with what took place in ST. I really think that change was needed and I believe the players have embraced the change. Unfortunate the Corona Virus has prevented ST from continuing. However, what do you see happening once the season picks back up. Will they pick up where they stopped in playing the ST games? Or will they make their final cuts and take that team north and play a series of Exhibition games at PNC? Man, this no baseball thing is terrible. I understand that life goes on, but it doesn't seem logical for it to be spring and no baseball and no Pirates! Beat'em Bucs
Jason Mackey
12:28
Hey Terry. I see them picking up the schedule on whatever date baseball returns. If it's May 26, say, I think the Pirates will start with a game in Cincinnati. I just think with the unpredictable start time, and the fact that you probably want to get going as quickly as possible, it makes more sense than creating an entirely new schedule. At this point, too, I think we can probably ditch any realistic hope of playing 162 and adding the missed games onto the back end of the schedule. I just don't see how you do that and finish in any sort of reasonable fashion.
Colts Corral
12:28
I would disagree. I know people that work for his newspapers and say he makes Henry Clay Frick look like Art Rooney.
Jason Mackey
12:29
You disagree? No way!
Gregg
12:29
Has there been any indications on what could happen with roster decisions, service, compensation--i.e. practical matters--even discussions not worth reporting yet, or is it just been safety at the moment?
Jason Mackey
12:29
Not a ton, honestly. There has been a decent amount of back-and-forth with MLB and MLBPA regarding that stuff. As such, there hasn't been much of anything to report. I am expecting more details to come out in the coming days.
Gregg
12:33
It's completely possible that someone misses an opportunity--say Derek Holland--because another player (Brault) will now be healthy to start the season, right?
Jason Mackey
12:36
I don't see that happening. I think Holland did enough to start the season as the fifth starter. Does he stay? Do they have a sixth starter? I think that's what we need to determine. An interesting scenario will be if Holland struggles. Do they switch him and Brault? They need a lefty in the 'pen, so I definitely see Brault getting that chance, unless they decide to go with a six-man rotation because the season start will be non-traditional. It might make sense to use a six-man rotation in this case.
Gerald
12:36
Hi Jason, I heard on 937 the fan the pirates had interest in bringing Jeff Locke back as the 5th starter, is there any truth to that?
Jason Mackey
12:37
Haha. Good one. Dude hasn't pitching anywhere since 2017. Believe he's retired. I don't think so.
Josh
12:37
What pop culture are you catching up on with the increase in free time?
Jason Mackey
12:39
Ha. None, Josh. I'm horribly uncool. I've been spending more time with the family, trying to figure out how to work from home and trying to continue to generate content. My wife and I like watching standup comedy, so we've watched some Sebastian Maniscalco and Dave Chappelle. We also watched "A Star is Born" (her choice) and a documentary called "Bluebird" (my choice) about the songwriter club in Nashville. But pop culture? I wouldn't call it that.
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