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Jason Mackey's sports chat 05.31.24
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Ryan
12:34
Good afternoon Jason What do you think about Nick Gonzalez he has looked also enjoyed your Interview with Robby about his time Here
Jason Mackey
12:36
Thanks, Ryan. Robby is one of the good ones. I miss him. ... Gonzales has been outstanding. Andrew Destin did an outstanding piece on Nick and the changes he has made to stay in the zone for longer. I'll link it below. But the improvement has been with more consistent bat-to-ball. This has even extended out of the strike zone. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2024/05/31/pirates-prospec...
Gene
12:36
Will Henry Davis be called up in the near future
Jason Mackey
12:37
Don't know how to define "near," but I would have to imagine, yeah, if he keeps hitting, the Pirates are gonna want to get that up here. That being said, they're allowing him to get at-bats and iron out the changes. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.
Y-town Ralph
12:37
Howe much blame does Andy Haines really deserve?  With Henry's reemergence in AAA it begs the question.
Jason Mackey
12:38
I suppose, but I covered the nuance of this above. Also, again, it's bigger than Andy. It's a team-wide thing where I think it's fair to say that they haven't reached enough players at the major league level.
Alan in Alabama
12:38
Jason! I’m totally confused over the whole James Daniels thing. I thought he was a good find at a reasonable cap hit and when they drafted the guard this year, I thought it MUST be with an eye the other, older guard. I absolutely remember people saying the reason why the line was declining was because guys like Pouncey and Decastro  were getting older. They WERE 29-years-old! Isaac is 30-31. Why is it not HIM that’s considered replaceable? Are they just dissatisfied with Daniels? I don’t see him as a superstar. But I do see him as a solid , dependable younger guy. Your thoughts?
Jason Mackey
12:39
There are a lot of miles on Daniels' figurative tires. I don't think anyone is closing the door on his possible return, but I think what the Steelers are showing us with their actions is that it won't come in advance of his contract lapsing.
Matt
12:39
Do you see a situation where the Bucs consider moving Reynolds to 1B in the off-season? Is Endy an option at 1B next season?
Jason Mackey
12:40
It's an interesting thought. Honestly, I haven't seen enough out of Bryan to say either way. I might feel differently if I did. I think Endy could be an option there, sure. They're gonna need to figure out the catching situation with Davis and Endy. But I don't know how Endy's elbow will heal. He also needs to hit more to justify playing anywhere.
Anthony
12:40
Is there pressure above Cherington to have them be a winner now? Fans patience is over, but how does Nutting feel about this and do you see them continuing to invest in home grown talent via extensions?
Jason Mackey
12:43
There certainly should be. And I do believe Nutting expects them to win -- regardless of what anyone thinks about him giving them enough to do that. With extensions ... not a ton more, at least as it looks at this very minute. Heard a lot about how they should extend Jack and Bednar. Those have quieted. They've never been close on Cruz. Skenes and Jones ... doesn't make sense for the pitchers to do anything.
guest
12:43
I'm not saying this is a Pirates-exclusive thing, but do you think it's a mistake to have such light workloads in the minors for starting ptichers (with a day off, they rarely pitch more than once per week in the minors)?

We've seen it already where Jones is now throwing 97 or 98 instead of 100 or 101. Almost all pitchers lose velocity and spin coming to majors when they pitch more.
Jason Mackey
12:44
I think it's a mistake period to handle guys as lightly as all teams do. Less, in this case, is not always more. I'm not saying have a guy throw 200 pitches. But if you ask for my thoughts on pitching, I think that's one of the problems -- we're almost too careful.
Guest
12:44
I thought today's athletes are better conditioned than the athletes of the past.  So why are pitchers taken out so early and players get days off when healthy?  They look to be in better shape than Ripken was but can't come close to his record.  Are they just softer?
Jason Mackey
12:45
They're managed differently, I would say that. I don't think softer is the right way to put it. But you have so many people getting paid to optimize performance and everything has to be so sharp and perfect. That's the culture. It's not the sport. Sometimes baseball is just about surviving until the next day when you feel like crap. That's OK. But it's just not the current culture.
Guest
12:46
Tomlin seems to prefer versatility over stability, especially with the offensive line.  Why can't he understand that practicing and playing one position, as opposed to jumping around, is the only way to get better at your designated position?
Jason Mackey
12:46
Umm ... I'm not sure Mike should be picking either/or. I think he has gotten prickly about Dan Moore Jr., probably defending the player more than anything. Versatility helps, sure. But I don't think he's hunting that in place of stability. I actually think the Steelers' offensive line has made some decent strides of late.
Tyler Nevin
12:47
I was recently dfa'd. Any interest
Jason Mackey
12:47
In a .205 average and .605 OPS over the past three seasons? Um, no.
Moonlight Graham
12:47
Does Russ have anything left in the tank?
Jason Mackey
12:48
I think so. He has looked very good, No. 1. Secondarily, if this goes according to plan, I don't think he's going to be asked to do a ton. They should be very run-oriented. Pickens can make Russ look even better deep. I like Freiermuth. What worries me is an ancillary passing game.
Moonlight Graham
12:48
If you were Dubas, what would you do?
Jason Mackey
12:49
Trade Karlsson or Jarry. Would depend on the offers I received. But I'd be OK with Ned and Blomqvist. I'd also want to use the Karlsson money to address other shortcomings, specifically my bottom-six around Eller. They're not deep enough.
Draft
12:49
Any indication of their strategy this year
Jason Mackey
12:49
Too early for that.
Guest
12:49
When trying to explain some of the unexplainable things Tomlin and the Steelers do, the answer is typically "that's how the Steelers do things".  Doesn't that need revisited since they have been failing for the better part of a decade?
Jason Mackey
12:50
That's an extremely vague question, I would argue that the Steelers have changed their ways plenty. They also just need whatever they do to work. Running game? I'm fine with it. But have a good one. They've spent in free agency. They did well in the draft. Now they just need to put it all together.
Moonlight Graham
12:50
Smizik still has his pithiness. I find his Twitter rants on the Pirates insightful. Any thoughts? Why does he do it?
Jason Mackey
12:51
Smizik was an idol of mine growing up -- and he still is. You'll be hearing from Bob soon. I have something cooking I'm excited to debut. It's his opinion. He's entitled to say whatever he wants. He doesn't need some newbie like me telling him how to think.
Guest
12:51
Is solometos recent appearances out of the bullpen an attempt to reset a bit after struggling with command and the long ball early this season
Jason Mackey
12:51
Yeah, I can't imagine he's gonna convert to reliever. They've pulled that trick before. It's been a rough go for him.
62 Stack Monster
12:51
Has anyone interviewed Bart Hannegraaff about the Pirates batting woes?
Jason Mackey
12:52
Have not. But I would argue their struggles have little to do with his role. He's a spoke in the wheel. Not the driving force.
Mat
12:53
What’s your favorite Grateful Dead show and song? I’m a big, big fan of Cornell 1977 and specifically that version of fire on the mountain. Do you have any go tos like that you recommend for a fellow dead head.
Jason Mackey
12:54
Had a friend text me this morning about Alpine Valley. That might be it for me, honestly. The Magnolia > Begonias in the second set of 7/18, unreal. Also a big Veneta fan. Actually like the Buffalo and Boston shows from '77 more. Anything March '90 as well.
Guest
12:54
What would worse case scenario be from Cherington's perspective if they cut Tellez and experimented instead with Lamb, Gorski, or another internal candidate?  Why do you believe GM believes Tellez warrants all this
Jason Mackey
12:55
It's a good question. Maybe having the owner pissed that he wasted $3.2 million? They could be trying to salvage Tellez by backing him off, then trying again. It has been surprising to say the least, and I can't say I have some magic answer that explains it.
Guest
12:55
Any slow starts concern you more than just needing more time
Jason Mackey
12:56
Good, smart question. ... I think Oneil's defense would be one. It worries me. Suwinski to a degree as well. ... I wonder what's there with Taylor. Been great defensively, but I don't know how long you can ride out a CF with a sub-.600 OPS.
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