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Jason Mackey's sports chat: 09.11.25
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Jason Mackey
12:37
Yes. This isn't a win for Cam. They allowed him to get SOMETHING. That's it. Bravo, Omar Khan on this one. You're telling me he suddenly feels respected because they added 3 years of team-based incentives? That's hilarious.
Titan fan
12:37
Thanks for your work Jason - your work on Pirates and Pens beat was always top notch - is there any reason to think legit major league players would come to Pittsburgh over other MLB destinations? Does stuff like the Tellez and IKF penny pinching resonate around the league?
Jason Mackey
12:38
Thank you. Appreciate that. ... Same as ever, they would have to overpay and present a coherent plan for success. They've offered opportunity. That has worked in some cases. But they need a multi-year guy, preferable more than one, and the only way they're going to secure that commitment is probably by doing both aforementioned things.
PrinceBob
12:38
What is your work travel like with your current position? I imagine when you had the Pirate beat you went on nearly all the road trips. Do you go on any now? Is travel more or less optional for you? Has your frequent flyer mileage taken a hit?
Jason Mackey
12:43
I barely travel now. Basically just Steelers. Travel perks have taken a hit, yes. But it's been a bigger issue for me at home. Family had been oriented to beat reporter life, having done it for 10 years. We've had trouble as a family transitioning to the columnist thing. It's actually harder for me to be home all the time.
Cullen
12:43
Konnor should be rewarded for his incredible season with some Major League ABs in the last series of the season like they did with Cruz. I know it's highly unlikely since he would have to be added to the 40 man roster but I think he deserves it!
Jason Mackey
12:43
I tend to agree with you, Cullen. Although I doubt that's how they see it. They probably worry about the 40-man stuff you mentioned.
John
12:43
I really like Henry Davis. He seems like a good kid. But man he can't hit. Do you think he can ever become a hitter?
Jason Mackey
12:44
I do, John. My plan would be a completely new hitting group this offseason, then seeing how Henry does after that. If he still can't hit midway through 2026, then I probably need to go in a different direction. I can't live with a .161 average or sub-.600 OPS. But I would like to see him with a new group in charge.
PrinceBob
12:45
You answered the guy who asked about keeping Pham by saying there's no way he, Pham, would want to stay here when he could go somewhere that looks to have a better chance of winning. Then you mention bringing in a couple middle of the order type bats, which they need to do. But if Pham wouldn't want to play here because he wants a better chance at winning why would any other middle of the order bat types want to sign here? It looks like trades are the only way to go.
Jason Mackey
12:45
They very well might be. Or you overpay for someone.
Andy Carnegie
12:45
Uhh, no, Skowronek caught the ball on the right side of the field-doesn't matter if he went over the middle.  He threw 5 passes directly over the middle-not on crossing routes where the pass is completed outside the hash marks.  Nextgen stats shows nothing about Rodgers' completions so I'm not sure how you made up that stat. The athletic had a great breakdown on Rodgers' pass completions and incompletions with a chart that shows exactly where the passes went.
Jason Mackey
12:48
If you wanna be mad or think I'm idiot, go nuts. As the great philosopher George Thorogood once said, "That don't confront me." But this passing chart lists 6 of 30 attempts going over the middle.
T.K.
12:48
Jason - Is Bob Nutting as miserly with his leadership pay scale as he is with the on field product?  The reason I ask (I realize there are only so many GM positions) - does/will he pay going rate for a quality GM?
Jason Mackey
12:49
He overpaid to get Cherington here. He paid $17 million or so to get rid of Hurdle & Huntington. I don't think that's the issue. You can rip his overall spending. No gonna defend that. But he hasn't underpaid his manager/GM.
T.K.
12:49
Jason - has Triolo's uptick offensively since all-star break done enough to look to him as everyday SS next year?
Jason Mackey
12:50
I don't know, T.K. I could see a scenario where Triolo does become the every-day SS, yes. But it would be incumbent on them spending primarily at OF and 3B. I'd be OK with that, too. Live with the lack of offense, take the lack of salary and keep the seat warm for Konnor Griffin.
Andy Carnegie
12:50
All right, I'll do away with the football stuff.  I'm looking at two different sites with two different answers on Rodgers completions over the middle.  He did at least throw a few over the middle which is more than the past QBs.  I won't quibble with you about it lol.  Do you think the Pirates should bring back the hitting instructor that was helping Hayes?  Why'd they let him go and would they be willing to put their ego aside and try to hire him back?  He'd be better than Matt Hague.
Jason Mackey
12:52
You'll do away with the football stuff because you found out you were wrong? Interesting.

I would love to see them bring back Jon Nunnally. He's someone a lot of guys in that clubhouse respected. But there's a 0.0% chance of it happening without the Pirates moving on from Ben Cherington first. You'd also have to think whether Nunnally would even want that. They fired him for no good reason recently, remember. Didn't renew his contract, sorry.
PrinceBob
12:52
I don't want to belabor the Pham thing so I swear this will be the last I mention it, at least today, but if they want Pham and if they know they have to overpay any to get free agent, why not overpay him if they really want him? And I'm not saying they should or shouldn't want him
Jason Mackey
12:53
Maybe they do. But I'd hope the Pirates, to fix their offensive woes, are shooting higher than someone who still only has a .722 OPS and has been above .800 in a full season twice -- and not since '19.
Andy Carnegie
12:53
I found the chart on nextgen stats -it isn't too user friendly for sure haha
Thank you for the chart!  I'm seeing 5 passes in between the hash marks which I considered over the middle.  I guess there are different interpretations about what over the middle means. I'm not mad at all-apologies if it came across that way.  Keep up the good work!
Jason Mackey
12:54
You're right. Sorry. Five between the hashes or 16.7%. I think I was trying to go too fast and accidentally typed six. Either way, not saying it was a giant part of the game plan. Just that they did it.
12:55
OK, folks. That does it for me this week. Great questions after a slow start. Talk to you again next Thursday! I like these. Thinking about ditching the mailbag. Shoot me an email if you have any firm feelings against that (jmackey@post-gazette.com).
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