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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 04.14.21
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Jason Mackey
12:32
I know. Schedule has been wonky, and I'm sorry for that. Spring training made it hard. Then the season starting and travel. Seemed like there was something going on every Wednesday. I hope yinz know how much I love these. I've hated missing them. Yes, I expect them to be pretty much every Wednesday for the rest of the regular season, barring day games or travel.
Ryan
12:32
Good afternoon Jason thoughts about Phillip Evans and David bednar the pirates bullpen has been doing pretty good let’s go Bucs
Jason Mackey
12:34
Good afternoon, Ryan. Have typed a lot of them, but I'm a big Evans fan. Love his approach, his attitude, his versatility. Has a sneaky amount of pop, too. I'd keep playing him until this ends, and hopefully for them and him, it never does. As for the bullpen, we knew it might be a strength, and so far it has been that. Not a finished product, mind you. But they have a couple of talented guys who do different things. Some excellent velocity and spin back there. Have really liked Bednar. He's the future closer, to me.
Jason in Slippery Rock
12:34
Should Anthony Alford even be in the majors at all, let alone a starter on an admittedly bad team? What do the Pirates see in him?
Jason Mackey
12:35
I think they think he can figure this out. I agree with you, the results have been bad. No way to defend that. But it has also been 111 PA. Remember last season, when he looked so good at the plate? It's in there. They're just struggling to bring it out. Everybody has struggled to bring it out. But he's powerful and athletic with a good head on his shoulders. You want those tools. He also can't go 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts. He looks lost. They need to get him away from it for a little bit.
Dylan
12:35
How far away is Hayes from returning?
Jason Mackey
12:36
Hard to say. He's obviously not coming off today. I watched him take infield yesterday, and that looked like the normal Hayes. So, no issues there. But I think we'll know more when he swings a bat, which hasn't happened. That will be a big test. They're waiting because they want to make sure whatever it is is fully calmed down.
Guest
12:36
Hey Jason, Love your work and attention to all things regarding our Battling Buccos! What about Phil Evans. He has to be a highlight of the young season. What is your take on his success? Is he another Josh Harrison super utility type??? Terry Martin, long time Pirates fan in Alpharetta, GA
Jason Mackey
12:37
Hi Terry, he could be, yeah. I think time will tell, as I've typed. I think they just need to ride this out with Phil and see what's there. It's what they did with Harrison. He showed them that he deserved to be in the lineup more often than not, even if it's at different spots. We may be seeing the same thing with Evans.
Kyle
12:37
Man, wouldn't Akil Baddoo look good in center field? Jose Soriano better be good
Jason Mackey
12:38
Ha. Persak, is this you? Michael was talking about that last night, and he's right. Soriano has a heck of a measuring stick established for him. That said, I'm also encouraged by Oviedo and think he could be a very good starter at this level.
Dave
12:38
Do you think Erik Gonzalez has earned a week or so of starts while Newman sits or is a utility option? He had a strong spring as well, and has seemingly carried it into the season. I think Newman's struggles at the plate have been somewhat less commented on since others have struggled even more, but the positive signs from the spring such as hitting the ball the other way seem to have vanished.
Jason Mackey
12:40
Hey Dave, I don't know about "earned a week or so of starts," but I do think Gonzalez has earned the right to be in the rotation. Three more hits last night. Newman had two but has struggled. If we've learned anything about Shelton at this point, it's that things can and will change. So, especially with Hayes out, I absolutely expect him to keep Gonzalez in the regular rotation of infielders, bouncing around between short for Newman, third if Evans plays in the outfield or at first, or second to give Frazier a day.
Jason in Slippery Rock
12:40
I get while fans are down on Polanco, as his career has clearly become a bust. But for perspective's sake on how hard it is to even be in MLB, if Gregory played for say, Westminster College right now (wink), what would his stats be like?
Jason Mackey
12:41
Ha. Love the Westminster reference. Something tells me Polanco would hit like .875 one week and look like a giant, then the next he'd be like flailing against some dude from Thiel with a 62 mph, spinning curve.
Jim
12:41
I know his defense at 2B has been very good, but do you think they would be tempted to move Frazier to the OF when Hayes returns? LF Evans, CF Reynolds, RF Frazier, 3B Hayes, 2B/SS Newman/Gonzalez?  Just spitballin'...
Jason Mackey
12:42
It's an interesting thought, Jim. And I don't think it would hurt his trade value to show he can do that. But you also may be helping Frazier's while hurting Polanco's. And I think also, ideally, you would like to see something out of Alford, Fowler, Goodwin or Oliva. I agree, it's bleak now. But it doesn't mean it'll be that way forever.
Kyle
12:42
Cole Tucker, Jared Oliva, Dustin Fowler, Anthony Alford, Wilmer Difo, Bryan Reynolds, or the field. Who will get the most time at CF come August?
Jason Mackey
12:43
Man, you're asking me to predict the future after 100 or so baseball games? I'll just Oliva, just because I think at this point he may be ready. But I can't say I'm confident in that answer. So much can and will happen.
cottcott
12:43
I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up Gregory.  He just gives away AB's these days.  Cahill had better AB's the other night.  They have to be getting close to cutting ties soon.  What do you think?
Jason Mackey
12:45
(You're not the only one bringing up Polanco.) ... I've answered the cutting ties thing. Why? How do they benefit there? The only reason they should cut ties is because you're mad at Polanco and want him to be gone. OK, I get it, but that's not a reason for a professional sports franchise -- hold the jokes -- to jettison its highest-paid player. You try to get him back on track and producing. You hope and pray you can trade him. You also look for someone to push him. They have to pay him regardless. They might as well make it productive.
Tyler
12:45
Do you think we could see Reynolds back in his original CF position where he played at Vanderbilt and throughout the minors?
Jason Mackey
12:47
Yes, I do. And I think it needs to happen soon. Like, tonight. Look at their best lineup. Does that not right now include Gonzalez at third, Newman at short, Frazier at second, Moran at first, Evans in left, Reynolds in center and Polanco in right, with Stallings catching? And, yes, I know people want Polanco banished to Siberia. I'm just saying of who's currently on their roster.
cottcott
12:47
Where is Travis Swaggerty?  Since he was drafted out of college, he has to be closer to the big leagues than some of the others you mentioned.  Can he not hit better than Alford or Fowler?  He was a very high pick, and not seen as any sort of reach by the major publications.
Jason Mackey
12:49
That's a good/fair question, but I don't fault the current regime. Swaggerty hit .176 in spring with nine strikeouts in 17 at-bats. That's obviously not enough to convince management he's ready to make the jump from Class A to the big leagues. Should he be better at this point? Yeah, he should. But he's also not hugely behind. Needs to eliminate some swing-and-miss this season in the minors, find some consistency and jump a level or two. He'll be fine, but he's not yet ready.
Chicken Cutlets
12:50
I think the Polanco worries are a huge example of early season overreaction. Yes, he has to make contact, but if you look at his and Moran's early samples, they look pretty close - and Polanco has a better (but still bad) K% so far. His BB% is way up and the eye test says he looks fine at the plate. The difference between the two so far is BABIP. If Polanco's stabilizes, I think we're talking about decent power out of the 6th spot. And given what you point out about the lack of immediate real options prospect-wise, it just seems like with Polanco's peripherals, moving on too soon could see him go on to have some solid success elsewhere. I hope we're a little more patient with him. Gotta ride some of this stuff out for 6 or 7 weeks I think.
Jason Mackey
12:52
Building on that -- and you're absolutely right -- Cherington on his radio show Sunday talked about either 40 or 60 games as being an adequate sample size. Have it written down but don't feel like digging through my bag. Anyway, point is that I can't believe they're going to react to anything before that. Have to see more, even if it might be painful to watch sometimes.
Zach
12:52
Do you think the Pirates will extend Moran if he keeps contributing like this?
Jason Mackey
12:52
No, I don't. But I do think they might trade him. They have a solid first-base prospect in Mason Martin. They also might need a position for Oneil Cruz (although first base wouldn't be my top choice). I think if Moran produces, he will play himself into a trade.
Greg
12:53
Who is one not so known prospect that you think highly of? I saw a pitcher named Trey McGough about a year and a half ago who looks pretty nasty
Jason Mackey
12:54
Hmm ... good question, Greg. ... I'm gonna go with a slightly different answer: Tahnaj Thomas. We talk about Cruz, Priester, Malone, Peguero, etc. Man, Thomas has put himself right there. Dude's throwing upper-90s with terrific secondary stuff. We should be talking about him more. Little bit of a late bloomer because he was a converted infielder.
Zach
12:54
Speaking of Moran if he continues to produce, do you think the Bucs extend him?
Jason Mackey
12:55
I don't. I would look to trade him if there are interested parties.
cottcott
12:55
Trader Neal was/is skewered for the Cole trade.  Joe Musgrove and Colin Moran are quality MLB players.  Musgrove just got the team a lot of quality prospects.
Jason Mackey
12:57
I have less of a problem with the Cole trade as I do how little they got out of Cole when he was here. To me, that's the root of the problem. They took a guy with elite spin stuff and told him to throw two-seamers at the bottom of the zone. Say they used Cole the way they should. Say they got those results. The market would have looked a heck of a lot different. Neal got what he could. Wasn't great, wasn't terrible. But the asset he was peddling should have had much greater value.
Bill
12:57
Hello Jason, Tyler Anderson goes tonight and although only through 2 starts and the always possible chance of getting blown up by this Padres lineup (without Tatis!!!!), I’ve actually been very impressed with his command and can tell he is just a classic veteran who takes care of business and knows how to pitch effectively. Question being, if he puts together a quality string of starts, is he on the move or do the pirates look to retain a successful veteran for the future?
Jason Mackey
12:58
Hey Bill. I agree with your assessment. I like what I've seen from Anderson. And Cahill in his second start, to be fair. But if he keeps this up, there's absolutely no way he'll be here past the trade deadline. Teams always need reliable starting pitching, especially lefties. Anderson isn't a world-beater, obviously, but if he pitches even a little better, he should net the Pirates something.
Daniel Sametz
12:59
Why do you think MLB México is not considering Evans as a Mexican player? he played for the national team that won the bronce, yet they do consider Verdugo as a mexican player. I don't understand it.
Jason Mackey
1:00
I don't know what you mean about "considering" or "not considering." Like, is there a label stitched on his jersey somewhere? He was born in the States. I think that's the only thing MLB recognizes. Or potentially where someone has citizenship. But I don't know what you mean by "considering."
Chicken Cutlets
1:00
Not sure if we'll have time for this one Jason, but since lots of people are rightly a little excited about Evans: one thing I heard today is that so far he's actually hitting the ball on the ground a lot more than his typical career numbers. So if that stabilizes and he continues hitting the ball well, then something of a breakout seems sustainable. Especially as a super utility corner+2B guy. Put succinctly, we deserve our own Max Muncy!
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