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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 03.25.20
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Jason Mackey
11:33
Hi folks. Welcome to my weekly Pirates chat. Feel free to leave your questions here. I'll be back at noon to answer them. Thanks!
11:59
Programming note: Just got a call I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for. Had to do it, but looks like the chat will be delayed 10-15 minutes. My apologies.
12:13
OK, slightly delayed, but away we go.
Jacque Strap
12:13
Hi Jason, hope you and your family are well. Whenever baseball resumes, if it does this year, do you think teams will go back to 'spring' training for a while? My biggest concern would be pitchers and their arms.
Jason Mackey
12:14
Mr. Strap, yes, I do think they will go back. Or at least they'll have it in their MLB cities. But in some way, shape or form, they're definitely going to need to re-do spring training for the reason you mentioned (pitchers' arms), in addition to several others, especially as long as this figures to go. I'm just hoping for it to be relatively quick.
Jacque Strap
12:14
Is there any silver lining in this situation in terms of the new regime having extra time to get familiar with the club, plan, figure things out?
Jason Mackey
12:16
I don't think so. I'm sure they can and will put the time to good use. Ben Cherington has talked recently about wanting to drill down into some specific things -- research, some development- and scouting-type stuff. All good. But everyone should've been plenty familiar and up to speed anyway.
Logan Arblaster
12:16
While watching the 2013 NL Wild Card game last night, I often compared that team to this team. It makes me sad to think of how close we were (for many years) and then let all of the talent go... BUT I feel like this Pirates team has a core group with a huge amount of upside. If the Pirates play to their full potential this year, do you think they can make the playoffs?
Jason Mackey
12:17
I think that's a pretty bold prediction, Logan, but I do think this Pirates team is much better than 69 wins. I've said that repeatedly in this space, and I think some people think I've lost my mind. But I said it before and I'll say it again: I think this club is capable of at least flirting with .500. Beyond that will depend on some people having career years, injuries, maybe some deadline-related stuff -- way down the road. But I am comfortable saying that I think this team will fare better than many expect.
maz01
12:17
Hi Jason, Is there any talk of when the season starts to playing regular season games at spring training sights or to empty stadiums?
Jason Mackey
12:18
There is talk, yes. I think that's something they're considering a variety of ways. In one sense, if there's an especially bad COVID-19 outbreak, I think they could consider ST sites or moving the game entirely. At the beginning, it might get baseball going sooner to play in empty ballparks. The key will be that only happening for a short, finite period of time. Nobody wants that long-term.
Empty pockets
12:19
Hi Jason. As a retired journalist, my best wishes go  to you and all the beat journalists who are worried about their jobs. Unlike the talking heads on the sports networks who make millions for their blathering nonsense, you and your peers are who provides accurate information to your readers. As for the Pirates, I will say that this is the perfect time to see less games!
Jason Mackey
12:21
Hi Empty pockets. Thank you for your well-wishes. I, too, feel for my fellow journalists, specifically at the Trib. That stinks. So far I've heard none of that talk at the P-G. I really hope and pray we don't get there, and I don't think we will. I love my job and where I work. ... For your Pirates point, please see my previous answer. The biggest reason I feel that way? The pitching program in the past was woefully behind the times, as evidenced by Tyler Glasnow's recent comments. How can we predict what they'll do in 2020? We can't.
Scrap
12:21
I am a long time Pirates fan from Harrisburg.  I once switched cable providers when my provider stopped providing the Pirates games.  I am looking forward to watching this young team.  I do not believe ownership will do the right thing to make this team better after watching them over the last 25 years.  Give me some hope please.
Jason Mackey
12:24
I think Bob Nutting knows they screwed up the post-2013-15 Pirates in a few different ways. I truly believe that. Some of it was money, other process-oriented. Also, I'm not defending Nutting here. I think he should spend more on major league payroll, absolutely. But I do think there were lessons to be learned all-around. I also think he hired some interesting people when it came to sustaining success. Travis Williams helped build the Penguins into a tremendous brand, in addition to a terrific hockey team. Ben Cherington, in Boston, showed an ability to draft and develop. If Nutting supports them financially, that could easily be a model for future success. Again, if Nutting supports them financially, and I think he will, although I think it might take longer than most people would like.
jds317
12:24
I believe you mentioned this idea in one of your podcasts.  If so, it bears repeating.  The pirates payroll is $50M.  Imagine if they spent the league average of $125M and assume that you can get a quality player for $10-$15M/ year.  They could afford to sign a CF, 3B, Catcher and 2 pitchers.  Combined with their current roster, this could be a competitive team.  Do you agree and, if so, doesn't this contradict the line that we're feed by Pirates management?
Jason Mackey
12:30
I don't know what line we're fed by Pirates management, but I agree with what you're saying. Right now, per Spotrac, the league average payroll is $130,859,732.17. I think it's nuts that the Yankees, Dodgers and Astros are all over $200K, but they're also not breaking any rules. Until that changes -- and I wish baseball's financial rules would, desperately -- spending around 40 percent of the league average creates a crazy-thin margin for error. You can win, I suppose, but the odds aren't very good. So, regardless of whether you can't or won't spend, doesn't matter. If you don't spend, you're not giving your paying customers a requisite amount of hope.
12:32
What I'm saying is spend $90-$100 million. That's Brewers, Tigers and Blue Jays range. I'd be perfectly fine with that, and I think their chances of being competitive -- especially with this new group -- would go way up. And if you can't do that right away, OK. Spend whatever this year, win, then increase; spend more next year, win, then increase; again and again, until the payroll grows. Not win some games, tease your fans, then spend less. That's not how it's supposed to work.
PhillyJake
12:33
How many players are in Pittsburgh, who normally wouldn't be in the offseason?
Jason Mackey
12:33
None that I'm aware of.
maz01
12:33
Jason, In this uncertain time, can GM's still make trades to improve their teams before the season begins?
Jason Mackey
12:34
They can, but it's not anything they're overly concerned about at this point. Even without the COVID-19 pandemic, I think most teams, by this point in the spring, are fairly solidified with what they have. Or at least they should be.
Sammy
12:34
Has there been any inside directive for teams to set a "roster" by tomorrow's original date for opening day, in case of service time/salary issues having to play out a certain way? And were the optioning of the 7 players last week just business operating as usual, or something more specific?
Jason Mackey
12:36
A couple things there, Sammy. I think you're going to see a MLB-MLBPA agreement between now and Opening Day that will render your first question moot. They're close. Secondarily, it was a couple different things. It's risk management, in trying to avoid those guys getting hurt at all, one, but also getting hurt and winding up on the major league IL. With Hayes and Tucker, I think it was at least somewhat baseball-related, in that Hayes needs to hit over a longer stretch, and they don't have the at-bats right now for Tucker. I think Edgar Santana was more of the first thing I mentioned. I expect to see him in the bullpen on Opening Day, whenever that turns out to be.
Sammy
12:36
Last season the Pirates ending up losing their prime trade piece due to situations outside of their control; is there any chance this happens again, due to something like waiving a trade deadline during a shortened season?
Jason Mackey
12:37
I can't equate the Vazquez thing to this. I just can't. And they could have traded Vasquez; they chose not to. I also wanna say I think that was the right move. No way anybody with the Pirates could've seen that coming -- the FBI doesn't exactly tip you on such matters -- and they would've been idiots for letting someone like Vasquez get away for nothing, in what would have been a substantial trade loss to the Dodgers given they wouldn't budge on any of their top three prospects.
Empty pockets
12:38
Jason, do you think that Bob Nutting has ever been the the Baseball Hall of Fame? There are so many tributes to the Pirates great teams and great players there. It truly is an historic franchise that deserves so much more from its owner. Maybe if he went there and spent a couple of hours looking at what the franchise means to the game he would be inspired. We can only hope.
Jason Mackey
12:40
I think he has, but I don't know that for sure. It is a tough situation. Getting to know Nutting over the past couple months, I don't think he's a bad guy. I also think he at least sort of understands what the Pirates mean to people around here. However, I don't agree with everything he does. As I said before, I think he should spend more. And if he can't or won't, that's a problem. Plus, they haven't been great at communicating with their fans in the past. Pittsburghers are relatively simple people. I know this because I am one. We want honesty and a legitimate effort. They're starting to do the first one, and Bob needs to spend more on major league players to show he's trying to do the second thing.
Sammy
12:48
I'm obviously not really trying to equate it in any way, aside from the fact that they had a future tradeable asset, now they don't. My bigger question still stands--is it possible the season starts very late, there is no trade deadline, thus they can't trade Keone Kela and lose him for nothing?
Jason Mackey
12:49
Yes, I suppose that's possible. But I have a hard time believing, one, there's no trade deadline at all. And, two, if that happened, the Pirates wouldn't be able to otherwise move who they want to move.
Sammy
12:49
All extension talks were put on hold, right?
Jason Mackey
12:49
Yes, at last check, they had cooled considerably. Just more, other stuff going on right now.
Empty pockets
12:49
Jason, I know we are at about the time of year that you lost your father. Any memories of going to Pirates games with him? When I lived there, my dad took me once a year when Clemente, Stargell, Maz, Virdon and other legends were on the field. There was nothing more breathtaking to me than walking up the ramp into Forbes Field and then seeing that emerald green infield. Good memories to have as we wait for this sinister virus to go away!
Jason Mackey
12:52
Yep. Two years ago today. And thank you for your kind words. So many memories of my dad and baseball, specifically going to games. One that stands out might be Todd Ritchie's near no-hitter. Also my older son's first baseball game with my dad. I grew up 10-15 minutes from Three Rivers, so we went all the time. I remember meeting players when they had those pregame, on-field events. My dad told Pete Vuckovich I was gonna pitch for him. Ha. Was psyched to meet Rich Loiselle, for some strange reason. Again, I could go on and on. We went to hundreds of games.
maz01
12:52
Jason, have the latin american and asian players on the Pirates and throughout MLB gone back home to their countries, and if they have, how difficault will be be for them to comeback when baseball returns do to COVID-19 ?
Jason Mackey
12:53
I believe most have, yes. And those that didn't, the same as other MLB cities, they've remained at spring training sites.
Sammy
12:53
Kind of like how they would be incredibly unfortunate to have lose the draft, where they have the highest pick they've had in a while. Who knows how it would shake out, but it certainly would come at an inopportune time for where the team stands.
Jason Mackey
12:53
I agree. There has to be a better solution than simply canceling the draft. As I wrote this morning, amend it.
12:57
OK, folks. Looks like that will do it for this week. Thank you for participating. Can't wait to do it again next Wednesday!
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