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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 12.23.20
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Tony
12:43
Jason, the team may be rebuilding but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be signing players this offseason.  They need a 4th outfielder (who may end up splitting time with Polanco or playing CF), relievers (including someone that will close), and some players with minor league options that can be shuttled back & forth from the minors (which you have wrote about).   If they don't want to come out and admit they're rebuilding and they continue to be inactive this offseason, don't you think it plays into the feeling by a lot of fans that Bob Nutting doesn't care?  Granted, signing some nonroster invitees isn't going to change the perception of Nutting - but its a small sign that they want to improve the roster
Jason Mackey
12:45
Hi Tony, I agree with you. I think it does play into that feeling. I would have that same perception. What I'm saying is if I'm Bob Nutting and I want to have my fans care/trust me, I'm going to speak and be honest about the process. He said last year they needed to be more communicative with fans ... and hasn't talked since. How is anyone supposed to buy that? And I like Cherington, but it's not like he's terribly revealing in his comments; he's hardly Jim Rutherford. To your earlier point, yeah, they need to sign some of those guys, and I think they will. But I don't think they're going to go crazy prioritizing the now because they are thinking several years down the road.
ThriftyBob
12:45
I actually think he has the right approach. I believe he will spend in time. Too far away now, though. What caused us to be where we’re at? Can’t just all be the Chris Archer trade.
Jason Mackey
12:48
The Archer trade never should have happened for several reasons. If you develop Glasnow and Meadows and get out of them what the Rays did, there's no way in hell, as a small-market team, you trade those guys. The first failure was bad development. Also, the Pirates have gotten next to nothing out of their own drafts. Look at their 40-man roster. How many of those guys did they draft? And I'll even allow Feliz, Moran and Musgrove because of their link to Gerrit Cole. We're here because they didn't properly add to the 2013-15 teams. They also made bad trades (Niese) and signings (Vogelsong), and things got stale. But that doesn't mean that, in a couple years, Cherington is incapable of doing something similar -- meaning the good end of what the Pirates did.
ThriftyBob
12:48
I’d rather they sign no one and develop vs the CF signing of last season. Just throwing away money. I like the “What about Bob” baby steps moves. Alford has some potential. Why blow millions with the uncertainty of covid and no real chance of competing.
Jason Mackey
12:50
I agree with you. Alford could be a real steal. I think there's merit to what they're doing with pitchers. Think about it: You dumpster dive because you have a system you believe can make guys better. Let's get crazy and say that happens. You can repurpose a reliever for something at the deadline. Definitely a starter. Or you have those guys. For nothing.
kcquinn
12:50
So, how good is the Pirates Minor League talent compared to other teams. Their ranking has been totally inconsistent.
Jason Mackey
12:51
Here's where I come down on that: Top end, they're in a pretty good spot. Hayes is obviously a stud. He's a major league player now. There's a lot to like with Cruz, Gonzales, Priester, Malone, Peguero, etc. Even Martin, Castro, Kranick, etc. Probably forgetting guys. Where the Pirates lack is depth. They simply don't have enough top-end prospects. They certainly don't have enough of them to consistently back-fill at the major league level, which is what teams like the Rays, A's and Brewers do so well.
Ricky
12:51
Sign chris archer
Jason Mackey
12:52
Don't do this to me, Ricky. I can't take another one.
Chuck Talboo
12:56
Explain to me how the imbalance in salary payrolls are good for MLB. How could the Player's Association be against  a salary cap that is revenue neutral?
Jason Mackey
1:00
I think because it would directly impact some of the high-earners. For example, there's zero chance Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg get those contracts in a capped system. I also think that's missing the forest through the trees or however that saying goes. A capped system would generate more overall interest in the sport, and everyone would benefit if baseball became more mainstream. As it stands now, it would be lucky to be No. 3 among major North American team sports. Definitely surpassed by hockey here. I also think the guys on the lower end of the earnings spectrum would be OK with a cap. But I think there are more who think there money would be taken away under a capped system. And while that may be true in the short-term, I think they'd make it up in the long run. Of course, all of that is easy to say for me, someone who would be impacted in no way financially by the whole thing.
Matthew
1:00
Why is Pittsburgh a small market team in baseball, but not football and hockey?
Jason Mackey
1:02
Couple things. One, I agree with you. I think it's BS to a degree. You are what your owners want to do. The Rooneys and Burkle/Lemieux want to win and will do so at all costs. With Nutting, we constantly hear about how they don't have money, how everyone is out to get them, etc. Yet there's no audit-based proof, right? Now, I do think the Pirates get screwed based on MLB's financial landscape. TV deals dictate so much in baseball, and the Pirates -- while they're not the Marlins -- also ain't the Yankees or Dodgers.
1:04
Building off of that, if you own a professional sports team, you need to make some risky, impulsive decisions. There are enough stupidly rich people out there, nobody wants to hear about your bottom line relative to signing Jarrod Dyson. If Nutting wanted to sell, the Pirates would sell in 5 minutes. Say it's Mark Cuban. Suddenly I don't think we're gonna hear about the Pirates being a small-market team and this or that. He's gonna spend a crapload of money because he has it, he has an ego, and he wants to win
PerfectGame
1:04
Another travel baseball school/program in the area with Neil Walker’s affiliation. Your thoughts on travel baseball for our youths. What happened to the summers of chill Legion ball? Is it worth it?
Jason Mackey
1:09
I think it depends who you are and how good you are. I also think you need to pick your spots. When you're 8 and trying to have fun? Relax. Your kid's 8. He doesn't need to play teams from California and Florida, and I don't want to hear about his OPS+. But I also think kids should be pushed and have the opportunity to do things on both tracks -- having fun and also pursuing something seriously. My dad always had a rule for me: If I wanted to do a sport or work on a skill or pursue something, he would support it at all costs. Whether that meant private lessons, different leagues, equipment, his own coaching, time, energy, whatever. He was tremendous. But I had to ask for it and want it. He didn't force me to do anything because he was trying to live some failed athletic dreams through me. He was trying to be a parent and was an awesome one. That's the balance we need to strike. Support what our kids wanna do. If that's Legion and having fun instead of getting hooked up to a Rapsodo machine, cool. Do it.
wvpirate
1:09
I havent seen anything about Piratefest. Assuming its canceled due to COVID?
Jason Mackey
1:10
Yeah, I would assume as much. Haven't gotten anything either, but there's no way that's doable. (Insert joke here about those six people actually wanting to go being able to social distance.)
wvpirate
1:10
The Pirates lost the Black Bears and what other affiliates? How many players will this impact?
Jason Mackey
1:10
Bristol. Probably in the 50 range give or take.
1:11
OK, folks. Looks like that will do it for this week. Thanks so much for participating. No clue on whether we'll do this next week, but I hope you all have a Happy Holidays regardless. Always, always, always appreciate the questions and interest in these things!
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