JotCast | Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 12.23.22

Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 12.23.22

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Jason Mackey

1:08

Not sure what the Pirates are doing, but I would imagine they're doing something. I know I owe my editors beers after dumping 3,500 or so words about the Great One on them earlier this week.

Jerry

1:08

Jason, take care mane, I'm out of here, going where those chilly winds don't blow....

Jason Mackey

1:08

Stay well, Jer.

Arnold S.

1:08

Jason, I informed you months ago that OC should hit the weights to become Strawberry-like, at least in bod. Seems like others were listening in on your chat. They are welcome.

Jason Mackey

1:08

I will share the message.

Canyon

1:08

whats taking Garcia so long to be announced

Jason Mackey

1:09

Not sure. This is weird. He's in the DR, so things do take longer. They need a completed physical before they announce. I'll check on it, but it has taken awhile. Was told next week, but I will see if I can dig up more context.

PRE

1:10

Do you see blackout restrictions ever changing to where there's a reasonable way to cut the cable and stream the Buccs?

Jason Mackey

1:10

Boy, I wish. That's so silly. Or have AT&T stream the games, and have customers pay for those. Sadly, no, I don't see that changing, though it should. Fans get ripped off.

GPT

1:10

Other than hoping that all of our prospects hit during the same 0-6 year service time window, what hope is there for the Pirates? I don't see how this is a sustainable business model for the sport. Nutting turns a profit (with great asset appreciation) without trying, the teams that are trying to win are happy because essentially 1/3 of the league are not competing for playoff spots, and we get treated to Houston/LA/some NY team and maybe Boston in perpetuity. Sorry to sound like a Grinch, but it gets to be a little much after a while.

Jason Mackey

1:11

You've looked at Tampa, Cleveland and Oakland, right? They do the same stuff. That's what the Pirates are trying to do. They've screwed up plenty. They drafted poorly, made bad trades, didn't get anything internationally, etc. Criticize that stuff until your heart's content, believe me. But taking issue with the business model, no. It plays in other markets.

Brenden Z

1:11

Who do you think will break out this season?

Jason Mackey

1:12

Odd one: I think Colin Holderman could wind up being really, really good in the bullpen.

Brenden Z

1:12

Who are your breakout candidates in 2023? Position players, bullpen, and SP?

Jason Mackey

1:13

More, I dig it. ... Got Holderman. ... Gonna go Bae for my position player. I think he's legit. And a lot of fun. ... SP, I'm gonna say Johan Oviedo figures it out for a lengthy stretch and looks really good.

GPT

1:13

Best food item provided in the press box?

Jason Mackey

1:14

The Pirates don't provide food in the press box. We have coffee and soft drinks. Favorite food items in press dining is probably their soups. Usually fairly solid options.

Woj

1:14

Why is Swaggerty out of favor? Admittedly he had “deer in headlights” look when he was up for his cup of coffee last season. But not the first to do that and won’t be the last either. Is he that bad? Former #1 pick, right? Best wishes to you Jason. Thanks for all the great articles

Jason Mackey

1:15

Hi Woj. You see this a lot. Old regime drafts a guy, new regime doesn't get it. They would have done it differently. I don't know if that's the case with Swag. Just explaining the issue. My guess would be they worry that he lacks power at this level. He hasn't shown it, granted he hasn't gotten much of a chance. Then they told him to bunt more. He can be very streaky, too. Not a typical power hitter by any stretch, but can go gap-to-gap.

Eddie h

1:15

What caliber of signing do you think the pirates could realistically make that would make you think they want to actually win?

Jason Mackey

1:16

Aaron Judge? I don't know. Ha. I would much rather see them have a bunch of young guys legitimately develop and the Pirates just give them opportunities. Take Endy for example. Fine with him starting at Triple-A. But if he hits a lot to start and they wanna show they want to win, bring him up. Let's see it. Give him a chance.

Drew

1:17

Do you think the front office was surprised that other teams snagged as many players as they did in the minor league portion of the rule 5 draft? On one hand, it shows they have talent in the system...or at least had it...on the other hand...it sucks to lose those guys.

Jason Mackey

1:17

Yeah, I think they were surprised. I think it was something of a mis-evaluation of their talent. But to answer your question, no, I don't think it's something they were expecting to happen.

Guest1

1:17

I understand the frustration fans have with the idea of a Reynolds trade. With that said, I can't help but think that a quality return could be far more valuable to the team going forward than Reynolds for three more seasons. What are your thoughts on this?

Jason Mackey

1:18

I'm with you. And given what Reynolds wanted -- I don't blame him for wanting it or thinking he could get it other places -- I don't blame the Pirates for not wanting to commit to it. The time to strike, honestly, was 1-2 years ago. That passed. Is what it is. Given the circumstance, if they make a good trade, I'll be fine with it.

Eddie h

1:18

Hayes and polanco both got long term contract offers earlier in their careers. Do you think Cruz could be next? How much $ per year do you think they’d be willing to give him?

Jason Mackey

1:19

He should, Eddie. That's what they need to do -- take a calculated risk. They waited on Reynolds, as I just typed out. ... I would say at least $8-$10 million, somewhere in there. Yearly cost will vary, obviously. But around Hayes if not above because of the offense is what I would expect.

Steven

1:19

I’m happy to see Bednar at the WBC, but at the same time, he battled an injury the back half of last season. Do you think that Bednar’s work is going to be drastically dropped to start the season with the times he’ll pitch during the WBC? Also, do you know if the organization was a little hesitant with Bednar pitching in the WBC or are they happy with the exposure and opportunity for him?

Jason Mackey

1:20

I think they're happy for him. Have heard no reservations. And I think the overall load isn't going to be huge. You can't stop a guy from representing his country, nor would they want to. Will they use him less early on? Potentially. I think they will be more careful overall in 2023 given his injury stuff this past season.

Woj

1:20

Seriously, do you get days off? I mean you pump out an I incredible number of articles… Vern Law, Franco, covering the Pens and Pirates etc. etc. etc. Hope you get to enjoy family time some time.

Jason Mackey

1:21

Ha. Thanks, Woj. I am what they tend to describe as "high energy." I like the work. I write a lot. I think it's important for readers to know I care. It's also therapeutic for me. That being said, I love and miss my family. Hoping for a quiet break with them.

Jeff T

1:21

Hi Jason…Merry Christmas to you and the family. If/when the Garcia signing is made, who do you see being DFA’d? Is it possibly Swaggerty, since they don’t seem to value him as much?

Jason Mackey

1:22

My top three DFA at this point would probably be DUJ, Vilade and Swag. Don't wanna see Swaggerty get DFA'd, but it doesn't seem like they have much use for him.

Adam in Boulder

1:22

When Cherington, Nutting, Shelton, etc., mention the "small market" or "the limitations of the market" in relation to payroll, do you or any other journalists ever immediately ask why the Pirates spend so little compared to St. Louis, San Diego, Milwaukee, i.e. similar-sized markets?

Jason Mackey

1:25

Bob hasn't been available to the group since October 2019. Travis Williams hasn't been available to local media since March 2021. Gonna be honest, market size and payroll hardly ever comes up with the manager, who's worried more about the on-field product. It has come up with Cherington, sure. ... We also can read the room. They're rebuilding. They're not going to spend money because rebuilding teams don't spend money. ... Are we going to ask Cherington about the Pirates' spending patterns over decades? Why? He wasn't here. You want me to encapsulate your anger as a fan, and that's not quite how it works. ... We ask about spending trends, why not spend more, when will they spend more, getting support, dealing with fan backlash, etc. ... I don't think the Pirates handle themselves the way they do because there haven't been enough/the right questions asked.

Maz01

1:26

Jason, do you think Shelton will be the manager when the Pirates become revelent?

Jason Mackey

1:26

I don't know, Maz. We need more time to figure it out. Been tough to evaluate him. I think it's possible. I also think it's possible he's a placeholder. I wanna see what he does with a better roster first.

Eddie h

1:26

(Assuming Reynolds isn’t traded), midway through the year who would you hope to see 1-5 in the batting order? I’m think 1. bae 2. Endy 3. Reynolds 4. cruz 5. Hayes. Thanks

Jason Mackey

1:28

I like Bae 1 and Cruz 2. If Reynolds is around, good with that. Not gonna put Endy into that spot. My 4 would probably be Choi or Santana. ... Then 5 Choi/Santana or Suwinski depending. ... From there, probably Hayes, Castro and Hedges rounding it out.

Bucs4Life

1:28

Happy Holidays Jason - Thanks for the great Bucs coverage! 2 more question for you - 1. When the Garcia signing is announced who is the most likely 40 man casualty? 2. Of the moves so far this offseason by the Bucs which do you like the best/least? Wishing you a blessed Holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Connecting…

Philly bob

5:23

Jason,

Chris R.

5:25

Jason, Hotel Illness is one of the greatest, least appreciated freaking rocking songs by any artist, let alone a solid music man such as myself. Your thoughts?

Mike S

5:26

Hello Jason, thanks for the chat and merry Christmas. With Oneil Cruz seemingly sticking at short for now, what is the plan for Liover Peguero? Is he in line for a position change or will Cruz eventually end up in right field and Peguero sticking at short?

Chris R.

5:28

Hypnotized by your rotten behavior. I always thought "raunchy" would have been a better lyric. Still one hell of a jam. Concurrence on your end?

Ryan

5:32

Good afternoon Jason what starting pitchers available for us to sign Merry Christmas and Happy New year

J$Money

5:33

What percent chance do you see the Pirates bringing back McCutcheon? And what team looking for an outfielder do you believe has the best assets to obtain in a Reynolds trade? Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Bob

5:37

Jason, should I have held onto those cold weather assets for awhile longer? I bought into the global warming thing, I guess. Buy low, sell high is always the goal, no?

Jerry

5:49

Jason, trying desperately to head where those chilly winds don't blow, but I'm frozen out of my VW Microbus. You happen to have any of that stuff they squirt into door locks?

Lionel Richie

6:10

Jason, please tell Steve I said “Hello.”🎵. Thanks.

C. Barnett

6:18

Jason, were you aware that there were some fine Aussie guitarists?

Courtney

6:24

Jason, if you like fine guitar work, check out me shredding on Turning Green. You are welcome.

Mike S

6:32

Not sure why they would sign a guy like vince velasquez and put him in the bullpen. Agreed? I would think he is line to be the 4th or 5th starter in the rotation?

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