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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 06.10.22
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Bill
12:27
Looking at the Indy box score daily, its hard to not be impressed with what Bae is doing. I know the current lineup is left handed heavy but if this continues they have to give him a look right? Should be able to find 40 man roster space.
Jason Mackey
12:29
Yeah, I would think so. You bring up a good point about the left-handed hitters, although I think they need to worry less about that. Give kids an opportunity when they earn it. Bae has done that.  That being said, you need somewhere for Bae to play, and I would rather have Cruz at SS. Guess you either commit to him being your everyday 2B or wait.
JasoHittingForTheCycle69
12:29
Hey Jason, just wondering how many world series titles you can win by manipulating service time. I'll hang up and listen.
Jason Mackey
12:30
I understand the frustration, believe me. And I'm not defending the Cruz thing, but the Pirates are hardly the first ones here.
Jeff
12:30
How many more at bats will they waste on Yu Chang?
Jason Mackey
12:30
No clue. I would swap him out for Cruz yesterday. Can't be any worse.
AJ
12:30
Hi Jason, I don't ask just because of the error, but do you think eventually, having Mitchell be able to play 1B would be worthwhile? Gives another option to get him regular ABs. I see what you just mentioned about Yoshi and think the same, but Mitchell seems solid in the OF and not much more, so having him able to play the corner spots+1B+occasional DH makes a lot of sense to me.
Jason Mackey
12:32
No, I don't, AJ. This isn't a video game. Mitchell has spent his entire life in the outfield. Have no issue with his defense. Certainly not enough to shoehorn something like that. The best thing for them is if Martin figures it out and becomes their first baseman of the future. I'm also intrigued by Jared Triolo, who I think could be outstanding over there. Won a GG at 3B last year but is obviously blocked in the majors by Hayes.
Frank
12:32
When Cruz comes up do you think he’s the everyday shortstop
Jason Mackey
12:32
Yeah, at least to start. They have to commit to regular playing if/when they bring him up. Again, I don't think it will be long.
Soggy
12:33
Ok... Gut check time Jason.  Do you think the Pirates will stay committed & consistently field a MLB caliber team moving forward?  Meaning in 3-5 years the Pirates are not trading away the the foundation of the team for "prospects" due to salary concerns.  Part 2... do you think the Pirates renew their lease at PNC or eventually relocate?
Jason Mackey
12:34
Gut check time? Oh, boy. This is serious now. Yes and yes. There's zero chance Ben Cherington comes here to set fire to his professional career. I think how the Pirates function is going to be different than, say, the Penguins or Steelers. Fans are going to have to be OK with guys becoming free agents and being traded because there's a prospect coming up who needs to play. It's a byproduct of baseball's whacked-out economic system. But I do think they will win. By proxy, they're not going anywhere. Stop.
Austin
12:34
There has to be almost a 100% chance assuming health that Cruz joins the team in St Louis and if not is waiting in Pittsburgh for next fridays game vs the Giants right? Right?
Jason Mackey
12:34
For the 9 billionth time, yes, I think it's very close.
Guest
12:35
First, thank you for such outstanding coverage this season.  Your mix of stats and personal observations/opinions is excellent.  Second, it seemed at the start of the season the top position player prospects were ahead of the organization's top pitching talent (i.e., Priester, Burrows, Solometo).  Do you think the FO will be even more aggressive in their timeline to better align with the guys like Hayes, Cruz, Davis, Swaggerty, etc.?  If Keller truly turns it around, adding Priester/Burrows to he and Roansy starts to fill out a pretty promising rotation coupled with the young position players...
Jason Mackey
12:36
I don't think they look at it that way -- and thank you, by the way, for the kind words. I think they need to do what's right by each player. Yeah, you have a loose idea on windows and when guys might pop. But you can't speed up and slow down like these guys are remote-controlled cars. I think the hope is that there's enough talent up here at any given time that the stuff you're talking about doesn't matter as much. And they're just not there yet.
Ryan
12:39
Good afternoon Jason what do you think about the play of Jack suwinski lately he has been hitting good same with Reynolds and Hayes they all have been looking good
Jason Mackey
12:40
Hi Ryan. I love it. He's a regular to me. I think we should be talking about him as a RoY candidate, honestly. Very solid in the outfield. I like his demeanor. Real chill. Good kid.
Caelan
12:40
Do we think it’s likely Cruz bats leadoff for the Buccos when he comes up given that’s where he bats in Indy or is that just a coincidence? Always seemed like more of a middle of there lineup hitter but can’t say the current team is littered with your typical lead off type guys. I assume that spot is for Peguero in the future if all goes well.
Jason Mackey
12:41
Good Q Caelan. Given how Shelton constructs his lineups, I doubt it. Probably winds up somewhere in the middle. I've actually liked Hayes at leadoff. Would maybe go Hayes, Reynolds, Suwinski, Cruz ... then adjust as needed. Chavis possibly at 5.
Miles
12:41
i hate to rain on a fun story but is suwinski's succeess, especially against lhp, really sustainable? those exit velos are not good
Jason Mackey
12:43
I don't know if it's sustainable or not, but I'm not leaning on his exit velocity vs. LHP to tell me that. His home last night against Max Fried looked just fine.
Bill
12:43
Mears is rehabbing and I'm guessing will be back soon. Do you see him having a role in the bullpen or do they send him down to AAA?
Jason Mackey
12:44
They really seem to like Mears. I think he probably bumps Yerry when he comes back.
Mateo
12:44
Pitching at the upper levels has been the one question there has been for the farm system recently. Was good to see Burrows and Priester shove this week. Should we expect Burrows to Indy and Priester along with Davis back to Altoona soon?
Jason Mackey
12:44
Yeah, I would think so. I'm really surprised Burrows isn't in Triple-A. And Priester, it's just a matter of getting comfortable again. Maybe he gets another rehab start with more ups, but I don't think it's far off.
Dunkirk
12:44
Do you feel like some of the young Pirates are being "thrown to the wolves" so-to-speak at the sake of further development at AA and AAA?  I'm thinking of guys like Castro, Castillo and Marcano.  The talent is apparent with all three, but they seemed overmatched and I feel like the organization is more willing to go the more traditional routes with th higher-pedigree prospects like Gonzalez, Davis, etc.
Jason Mackey
12:45
No, I don't think so. The Padres had Marcano in the majors, then the Pirates pulled him back to AAA, then AA. I don't think that's throwing him to the wolves. You need to give the kids a chance. I'd argue they need to give young players more chances, not less.
PRE
12:45
With how strong JT BruiseMaker has looked recently, I got to thinking: From a list of Roansy, JT, Bolton, Thompson, Keller, Burrows, and the obligatory a low cost vet - could starting pitching be… gasp... a strength next year? On top of that, I know you’re a Burrows guy, what are the odds we see a cameo from him in PNC late in the summer?
Jason Mackey
12:46
I think there's a decent chance of a Burrows cameo, sure. It would be well-earned. He seems to be on the Roansy track. And, yeah, you're a little over your skies with the pitching-as-a-strength thing, but I think it could be at least serviceable.
PRE
12:46
I love watching a good sidewinder. I remember hearing that Solometo had the reputation of being polished for a pitcher coming out of high school. In a short sample size, he’s looked awesome. Would the pirates (or any organization for that matter) ever “fast track” a guy like that to the majors in a year or two if he’s got the feel for pitching down, or is he just too young?
Jason Mackey
12:47
He's just too young. Solometo just graduated high school. He's made three appearances in affiliated ball. He requires plenty of development. If he pitches his way to the top fast, great. But I'm not counting on it. It should still be a few years, and that's perfectly OK.
Tom J.
12:47
A bit behind on this question...I have family in L.A.  They said to me after the sweep...there are 2 things we never saw coming this summer:  One was $7.00 gas prices and the second was a Pirates sweep at Dodger Stadium.  It was a good series.  Did we catch LA at the right time after their 10 game road trip...or did the Bucs play really good ball?  I say the later.  Thanks, Jason!
Jason Mackey
12:48
Probably a little bit of all of it, Tom. They played really good ball. L.A. was a little sleepy and probably took the Pirates lightly. I think it shows how thin the margin for error is in baseball -- and all sports.
Bill
12:48
Whats your thoughts on Blake Sabol? Hes having a breakout at Altoona and he can catch, just not sure how he is behind the plate. I think in future with Davis and then having guys like Endy/Sabol who can play multiple spots would be a big benefit to Bucs
Jason Mackey
12:49
I've liked his year. Not enough to supplant Davis, obviously. Henry should still be viewed as the catcher of the future. But if his offensive track continues, they'll have to find somewhere for him to play. If it's as a DH or in the field, whatever. They need offense. But the kid has a good mix of power and bat-to-ball skills.
Wayward
12:49
Jason, in your opinion how long does it take the league to start finding a rookie hitters weaknesses?  I am curious to see how a guy like Suwinski (and others) adjust.
Jason Mackey
12:50
We've been through that with Jack. Generally a couple weeks, and people start finding holes. They did. He's punched back. There will be more adjustments. But I think we're beyond that initial cat-and-mouse game that is played. It's one of the reasons I'm high on Suwinski, because of how well he's done that. It's not easy.
AJ
12:50
No need to put this through, but I find it really frustrating to participate in chats and have snark thrown back. I get that it's probably annoying to field questions, but that response was enough for me to want to check out of the chats for the foreseeable future. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Jason Mackey
12:51
I'm not trying to be snarky, AJ. Just saying that I don't think you can just randomly teach a guy a position that he's never played before in his life. I'm sorry it was taken that way. It was not my intent.
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