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Jason Mackey's sports chat: 06.19.25
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Jason Mackey
11:35
Hello, everyone. Welcome to my weekly sports chat. I have missed these. I missed everything last week with the U.S. Open. Good to be back. You know the drill. We'll get started around noon. Please, I beg of you, ask something other than about the Pirates.
11:54
Alright, let's get started ...
Cullen
11:54
Is Konnor Griffin the next Witt Jr, Merrill, Holliday? Going to see him next week in Greensboro, but he seems like a guy we could possibly fast track and have in the majors for a cup of coffee at the end of 2026/ early 27?
Jason Mackey
11:55
He could be, Cullen. I have no reason to believe at this point that he's not. I would keep pushing him until I see a reason otherwise. If he finishes the year in Double-A Altoona, that would be incredible for the Pirates. Really like Griffin a lot.
Cullen
11:55
Do you think it's more likely to see Keller or a prospect like Harrington, Barco, Burrows, etc traded for bats? Will they pull the trigger this trade deadline or in the offseason to see where we land under DK and what positions we'll truly need?
Jason Mackey
11:56
Probably Keller. We're talking about the Pirates. They can replace his production for cheaper. I'll make that bet every time.
Cullen
11:56
What is the future of SS for the Pirates? It's pretty clear Peggy has fallen down the depth chart. I've seen Nick Gonzales floated but I don't think he has the range for the position. Is the future SS outside the org? Maybe a trade?
Jason Mackey
11:56
I don't think we know. Maybe it's Griffin? I don't think it's Peguero or Gonzales. A few years ago, we were talking about them being the middle infield of the future, along with Mason Martin, Jared Triolo, etc. We don't know. There's way too much between now and then.
Mr Ed
11:57
Leaving team accomplishments aside, since the player is not responsible for its makeup, do you think Connor McDavid is more talented than Sid? And, do you think he gets the most out of his talent like Sid? To me, 97’s vision and anticipation is one area he is lacking compared to Gretzky, Mario, Sid.
Jason Mackey
11:59
"Talent" is a funky way of putting that. Can he skate faster? Maybe. Probably. Does he have more offensive skill? How are we measuring that? McDavid probably has more flash. Crosby does more subtle stuff (backhands, wall play, faceoffs) well. Are all of those ascribed to talent? It's a hard Q to answer. But I'll take Crosby > McDavid ... and easily so, because of the winning.
Dale
11:59
This is clearly a lost year for the Pirates. With the clock ticking on Skenes and the window with him. What do you think is realistic for the Pirates to do between now and next year to actually put a competitive team on the field? Some feel it's not close and some feel that it's one or two impact bats away.
Jason Mackey
12:01
Smart, aggressive moves. Here, I'll go with a list:
  1. Fire the GM
  2. Trade the obvious ones at the deadline (Heaney, Ferguson, IKF, etc.)
  3. This offseason, try to move Hayes and/or Keller
  4. This offseason, get a new GM with small-market experience
  5. Clean house on the hitting side. Completely new people & approach
  6. Spend money on players to help the offense, up to and including signing someone to a multi-year contract
There's more, obviously. But those would be the important bullets.
12:02
"Between your deededly doo Dead music and newfound love of golf, you should have no problems falling asleep." Yes, my habits are stupid. Why?
Jim ((Cosmo K) in Jax
12:02
Between your deededly doo Dead music and newfound love of golf, you should have no problems falling asleep... Can the Panthers roll it back again next year and three-peat? FL hockey is making the Penguin's first team in the salary cap era to repeat accomplishment not so special anymore. Again, congrats Evan Rodrigues! I think I spelled his name correctly this time... Enjoy some Red rocks from '78 and The travelers LOL. Darren always says hi.
demosthenes98
12:02
The Florida Panthers just won the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row. As the PG's Penguins beat writer back when the Pens were going back-to-back, can you put in perspective for us just how difficult of a feat that is?
Jason Mackey
12:04
Think about the calendar. It's June 19. You're playing hockey until June 19, then coming back and doing it again. There are Cup parties, decompressing, healing, etc. Then you're back at it 6 weeks or so later. And doing another elongated season.

There's also injury luck (again), roster building (again), four rounds of playoffs. For a contact sport, the amount of hockey played in a two-year window and what you need to have happen is nuts.
demosthenes98
12:04
In light of the absolute mess he's made of the Pirates' roster and farm system, is Ben Cherington, in your judgment, worthy of having anything at all to do with next month's draft and trade deadline, regardless of whether or not he's still the GM by then?
Jason Mackey
12:05
He should've been fired long ago. The only difference in baseball -- which I don't think people understand -- is that the GM delegates a lot of the draft. It's not like Cherington is handling himself like Omar Khan does for the NFL draft.
demosthenes98
12:06
The exterior of PNC Park is adorned with banners depicting current Pirates players. In your judgment, which players are unworthy of those banners, and which player (players, maybe?) is worthy of more than one banner?
Jason Mackey
12:07
They have banners for those on the active roster. I don't know what you're getting at here, but I'm guessing it's who doesn't belong on the active roster. Tommy Pham would be one. Maybe you're upset about Ke'Bryan Hayes? Jared Triolo? I mean, they're tracking toward another 100-loss season. They're clearly not good enough. A lot of things should be done. Canario has probably reached the end of the road. The pitching staff has been largely OK.
demosthenes98
12:07
What is your judgment of the Pirates fans who chant "SELL THE TEAM!" from within PNC Park, i.e. after giving ownership money? To what degree, if any, are they actually helping?
Jason Mackey
12:08
It's not my job to tell fans how to spend their money or how to be fans.

You wanna go to a game, go. You wanna vote with your dollar, do it.
Dan S
12:08
Jason, we know the Steelers will be extending TJ. Why the de
Jason Mackey
12:08
I agree with you, Dan. Can't find the rest of your question, though.
Seven
12:08
Thanks for the chat, Jason. The Florida Panthers have been very impressive in reaching three straight NHL finals and winning back-to-back championships. Can they do it again next season? They are on the verge of becoming a dynasty, and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago that they were fighting the Penguins for a wild card playoff spot.
Jason Mackey
12:09
I know. Crazy stuff. Bill Zito has done such a good job building that roster. I'm inclined to say no, because there's a breakdown rate at some point in the NHL. At the same time, they've done such a good job at external additions, and we're also not talking about some aging group that's about to go over the hill.
Johnson
12:10
What's the best movie you've seen this year?
Jason Mackey
12:11
I love the question. It's also making me feel like crap. I can't remember the last movie I watched. That's horrible. Best good movie, or one that moved me, was probably "A Man Called Otto," the Tom Hanks movie that was filmed here.
Seven
12:12
I have a hard time believing that Fenway Sports would sell the Penguins so soon after acquiring them. You indicated in your recent column that the idea is not outrageous. I assume that their asking price would be prohibitive under the circumstances, wouldn't it?
Jason Mackey
12:12
I think it would be very high. Prohibitive? I don't know. Ron Burkle has a lot of money. Depends on what they'd be comfortable with. I don't think FSG would turn down a competitive offer, however. Despite how they seem to want to message that publicly.
Greg from Johnstown
12:12
Hi Jason, will Saturday Conversations be returning on the PG youtube channel ? I enjoy hearing from former players, coaches and media members. Thanks !
Jason Mackey
12:13
Thanks, Greg. I appreciate the feedback. Short answer: I don't know. We're going through a bunch of YouTube strategy/content. I'll be honest, that became hard to fit every week. We've kicked around some other endeavors as well. Kinda TBD at the moment. But I'm glad you liked it.
Seven
12:13
You said in your very good column today about baseball's failure to promote a potential Cy Young pitching matchup in Detroit that you have become enamored of pro golf after covering the U.S. Open. What impressed you the most after watching the tournament, which seemed to have a little of everything to keep the casual fan entertained?
Jason Mackey
12:17
It started before the U.S. Open, to be clear. A couple months ago, in earnest, though the Open kicked it into hyper-speed.
  1. Experiencing everything up close. I had never played Oakmont. I thought it was incredible to play and stink ... but then see how actual golfers handled it. Also, of course, walking the course and seeing the tremendous amount of skill live.
  2. The case. I know the big names were out of it. But you had a competition where the winner could have gone 5 different ways until the last like 5% of competition. That's pretty darn good.
  3. The accessibility. Hearing from golfers. The coverage on PGA Tour radio. Having pre- and post-round shows explaining things to me. I loved the rush of not knowing something but consuming a bunch of good info and feeling like I bettered myself.
  4. The supreme skill. How advanced these guys are. Again, I get the lack of "names." But what we saw, against the backdrop of a crazy hard course and awful conditions, I'd still be out there playing.
Bud
12:18
Jason, did the Steelers miss the boat not going after Jaire Alexander? He cost less than Slay and the depth is not great at a position the Steelers have struggled at for YEARS.
Jason Mackey
12:19
Potentially. It's a fair question, though we'll see if Alexander bounces back. I also wonder what Alexander thought about the opportunity in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are clearly invested in JPJ & Slay. Guessing Alexander had a larger role available to him with the Ravens.
Seven
12:20
Over at the Trib-Review, Tim Benz had an interesting column that essentially said that the Penguins are gently, behind the scenes, orchestrating Malkin's exit after the 25-26 season. I know it's not your beat anymore, but do you think that the player and the team will come together before the season and set the stage for a farewell tour? He certainly deserves it.
Jason Mackey
12:22
Yeah. I'm not bagging on Tim (who's a good friend) or Josh Yohe (who's also a friend). They've both written this in recent days. I've been operating for a long time under the assumption that this would be it for Geno -- complete with a sendoff, yes. It's why I wrote back in March that I think the Penguins should be operating with a greater sense of urgency. Imagine Malkin somewhere else, with no sign of Crosby. You'd be doing everything possible to put a team around that guy, no?

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/jason-mackey/2025/03/22/penguins-k...
Seven
12:22
If you had Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Joe Flacco all in your quarterback room, do you think you could get through a 17-game season without needing a fourth quarterback?
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