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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 09.15.21
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Jason Mackey
11:26
Hello everyone and welcome to my weekly Pirates chat. We're gonna get started here around noon, but feel free to leave your questions right here, right now. Thanks!
12:04
And away we go ...
Bill Peduto's beard
12:04
J - Mac, if the Bucs go 7 - 11 the remainder of the way, this gets them to 60 wins. Likely a few more than most though. Does this represent progress over the '20 squad and is 68 - 70 wins next year, realistic ( I know I can't believe I wrote that as progress :)
Jason Mackey
12:06
I don't think we should be measuring progress for the Pirates based on win totals. I just don't. They don't have the major league players right now to make that a valid assertion. They have a few -- obviously I feel good about Reynolds -- but the encouraging thing, to me, involves the minor leagues and the amount of talent there. They've added a lot. It won't all pan out. But I feel comfortable saying there has been progress in that area over the past year.
Cullen B
12:06
Thanks for the chats as always, I saw that O'neil Cruz was ejected from the game last night, any word on why? it looked like he was arguing with the 2nd base ump after a close play (blown call) at 2nd.
Jason Mackey
12:06
I believe you answered your own question.
Cullen B
12:06
Will the Pirates be more aggressive in Minor league placements/promotions next season considering most prospects played at the same level all year? It seems like they were tentative to promote players since the 2020 season was lost, although I like them keeping the Braedenton/Greensboro group intact to "win together".
Jason Mackey
12:08
They were pretty aggressive this year, Cullen, at least to start. I know a lot of people have wanted them to promote guys. I think you'll see some AA to AAA movement. I also get why you're gonna let Low- and High-A go. I don't have an issue there. But, yeah, next year will they maybe be a little more aggressive with promotions because they're coming off a mostly normal season? I think that's reasonable.
Ed
12:08
BC has stated he will not lose any sleep over determining which players to protect on the 40, but I think it will be just as hard determining the others who make the 40 after the season.  So many players showing potential but the stats show a lot of struggling. Your thoughts on the fringe players and whom to cover?
Jason Mackey
12:09
Prospects, prospects, prospects, Ed. If you're not a potential part of the future, I'm OK losing you. Seriously. If they lose some mediocre major leaguers, so what? They need to prioritize the prospects and do this right. If you're going to let them play in '22, which I believe the Pirates plan to do, they'll be fine.
Dan Hudock
12:09
Kevin Newman's stats for 2019, at least on the surface, were very good (OPS of .800 and 64 RBI's), but he has regressed tremendously offensively this year.  Is there an explanation?  Which one is the real Kevin Newman?  Does he fit in the Pirates' future plans as an everyday player somewhere on the diamond?
Jason Mackey
12:10
Hey Dan. I think it's somewhere in between, and I think we're seeing that in the second half. Newman's OPS since the All-Star break is .683. To me, that's about what he is. He's obviously not an .800 OPS guy. He's also not as bad as he's been this season. Has gotten recently good defensively. As far as the future, I think he will get the majority of the reps there until Oneil Cruz is ready, which could be in the middle of '22.
Ed
12:10
Has the MLB said anything as to why they did not update the rule 5 requirements taking into consideration that last season was a loss in playing time for the minors?
Jason Mackey
12:11
Not to my knowledge, no.
Cullen B
12:11
When the Pirates are competitive, do you think there is a chance that they make some deals similar to the Rays (Cruz) or Padres (Musgrove, Clevenger, Frazier, etc) using system quality and depth to part with lower end, high upside prospects to land pieces to put them over the top without sacrificing the overall farm?
Jason Mackey
12:12
I certainly hope so. The way the Padres have done business this year, that may be a high bar. But I think the Rays with Cruz are a good comp. Will they part with prospects to get a piece that's needed, one they have to pay a little more? I think so, yes. Would be largely pointless for Cherington to come here if that wasn't going to happen.
The Big Mackey Attack
12:12
Which Top 10 rookies might we see in 2022?
Jason Mackey
12:12
The top 10 rookies? Do you mean the top 10 prospects?
The Big Mackey Attack
12:12
Have we found gold in Dillon Peters or is this one of those 'wait until the league gets a book on him' type of deals? After all, the Angels were desperate for pitching and they let him go.
Jason Mackey
12:14
I don't know. I want to see more. Could be. He also could be very good. Dude's got a great changeup, a fastball with movement and a pretty decent hook. Plus, he throws strikes. That combo will work. Does he tip his pitches or lack consistency? I think more of a sample size might tell us.
The Big Mackey Attack
12:14
Why does Oscar Marin still have a job. It doesn't look like he has helped any of our pitchers. Will he be let go on the offseason?
Jason Mackey
12:15
It's a fair question. He's helped some, but I can't say they've gotten a bunch of results. My guess, like Shelton, he's gonna be back, and they will start the year expecting some improvement. I will say, the Pirates have come out of the dark ages when it comes to pitching preparedness. But I know what you're saying -- who has really gotten decidedly better under Marin? Bednar? I dunno.
Richard
12:15
Am I foolish to believe the Prates have the makings of a decent offensive/defensive team with Moran at 1st, possibly Chavis at 2nd, Hayes at 3rd, Newman at short, Stallings behind the plate, Gamel, Alford & Reynolds in the outfield, and Tsutsugo and Difo on the bench?  Pitching is a total mess, but I've been enjoying watching this line-up.
Jason Mackey
12:16
It's respectable, I'll give you that. Although you and I both know, no MLB team goes through a season with that few quality position players and barely any bench depth. Plus scant ability to have minor leaguers contribute. The Pirates aren't deep enough. And we haven't even talked about their pitching issues.
TS
12:16
Any chance of Cruz getting any ABs up here this year?   Was he on the 40 man?
Jason Mackey
12:16
He is on the 40-man, yes. I think the move for him is going to be Class AAA.
Guest
12:16
What years were your fav for Bucco uniforms?
Jason Mackey
12:17
I know many will say the 70s, and I have a tough time arguing. But for me, it's the early 90s. It's the era during which I fell in love with baseball. I can't not pick it.
Chuckster
12:17
Surprisingly, Clay Holmes has been dominant as a relief pitcher since being traded to the New York Yankees. He is yet another example of a pitcher excelling after being traded by the Pirates. How do you explain this happening time and time again?
Jason Mackey
12:19
A couple reasons. One, the Pirates, because of their situation, take on a lot of development projects. They have to. And they don't all pan out in a linear fashion. Holmes took longer. I think Holmes took some different stuff. We've also seen Clay Holmes pitch well for stretches -- earlier this season, for example -- so I want to see more. It also could be the Pirates being unable to get guys to figure it out at the major league level. Not ruling that out. But every situation here is different.
Nervous Mark Shaw Jr.
12:19
Enjoy the chats and thanks for the outlet.  It is incredibly frustrating watching guys like Moran and Stallings "run" the bases. Do teams ever work with painfully slow players to try to improve their speed?  I would think the players themselves would be embarrassed about how slow they are and take some initiative to try and get faster (offseason?) but that is probably crazy thinking.
Jason Mackey
12:20
I get paid the same whether they're fast or slow, so no, it's not. And to your questions, not really. I mean, there's only so much you can do, right? They might work with a guy's form or whatever, but there's no drill on the planet that's gonna make Moran ran a 4.5-second 40. Maybe a rocket strapped to his back. As someone who fought the same battle, again, you can't just say, "I'm gonna be fast." Big part is genetic.
PrinceBob
12:20
I totally agreed with your column from last week where you said that the Pirates need to show their fans something next season to give them a reason to go to games suggesting maybe adding a middle infielder who can hit and one or two established starting pitchers (put me down for two). But I thought exactly this before this season. Is there a reason why it's important for the Pirates to show something before next season but not before this one?
Jason Mackey
12:22
I wasn't trying to excuse this one and say they didn't have to care. My point was that I think fans' patience is wearing thin. You lose 100 this year. OK. I think some fans can get down with that because the minor leagues are better, there's hope, etc. But you're still charging them the same price for hope. You can't, in my opinion, do that. You either need to charge less or put a more watchable product on the field.
PrinceBob
12:22
And what if Bob Nutting doesn't think it's important to show something next year? He seemed to be okay with the prospect of awful team and almost no fans this year. Why would that change next year?
Jason Mackey
12:24
A completely fair point. And people, if they have that concern, should stay away until they feel like they're getting the requisite amount of entertainment for their hard-earned money. I'm not one of those sports writers who chastises fans for not going while I get in for free and hang in the press box. That stuff is damn expensive, man. Too expensive. Money doesn't grow on trees. If I'm a fan -- which I'm not -- you need to tell me why I should spend time and money on what you're selling. I want to hear reasons why you're doing things, I want to know about a plan. If I'm convinced -- there are some things I would be with the Pirates, others I wouldn't, and none of it matters -- then I'll support you. If I won't, I'll do something else.
Ryan
12:25
Good afternoon Jason when did Bednar get injured really liked the game last night
Jason Mackey
12:26
Yeah, last night was fun. I enjoyed it as well. We don't know for sure, but I knew he was hurt as of Saturday night. Just needed to properly and responsibly report it out, which you saw over Twitter Sunday. He last pitched Tuesday, I believe -- 8 days ago now -- so that would be my best guess. But I don't know for sure.
PrinceBob
12:26
That's a great answer to my first question.
Jason Mackey
12:26
I'm glad, Gunner. Thanks for participating.
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