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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 01.12.23
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Jason Mackey
11:35
Hello, everyone. Thanks for stopping by my weekly Pirates chat. You know the drill. Feel free to leave your questions now. I'll be back around noon to answer 'em.
12:02
And away we go ...
Brax
12:02
Did you hear if Pirates put an offer in for Imagana? Any update on Yariel Rodriguez or the trade front for SP?
Jason Mackey
12:04
Did not hear that they put an offer in on Imanaga. Maybe they did, and they didn't end up a finalist. It's possible. But had not heard that. ... Yes on Rodriguez. To my knowledge, he has not eliminated any team. He also hasn't signed with anything. Not gonna try to act like I know his plans because I don't think any of us do.
Anthony
12:04
Are the Pirates still in Yariel Rodriguez? Is he holding things up on them trading for signing someone else?
Jason Mackey
12:05
Yes and it's quite possible, though I don't think it would bring their entire offseason to a halt. But would they like to know whether he was in or out? That's fair.
12:06
Kind of a vague answer, sorry. Didn't mean for it to read that way. Simpler: Yeah, wouldn't surprise me if that had some effect on things.
Cullen
12:06
Hey Jason, If the Pirates are priced out and unable to extend Keller would they be looking to trade him for a SP with more control?
Jason Mackey
12:07
No, I don't think that's the case. I think it's something they will visit more in spring. Not saying it happens. But I don't think "priced out" is how I would describe it.
Carson
12:07
Is there any update on the big move that was supposed to happen? Has it stalled out, fell through or are they just working through it still?
Jason Mackey
12:08
These things are tough to predict. Honestly, I learned a lesson this offseason in terms of conveying what I've heard about the likelihood of something together. There can be optimism, a sense something might happen, a desire, etc. Still doesn't mean the deal follows that path. So, to answer your question: no real update. But I do believe a couple things that are more generic: They're not done, and they will add to the starting rotation before spring training. Like in a meaningful way.
Kyle
12:09
Any rumblings you’ve been hearing regarding trades/signings? Is Yariel Rodriguez a possibility?
Jason Mackey
12:09
Oh, boy. It's Yariel Rodriguez Day. No issue here. Makes a bunch of sense for the Pirates to give him a chance to start. The upside could be very, very good.
Brad
12:09
Lots of good FAs available, can you see the Pirates adding a couple more guys they didn’t expect to add given the pool of remaining players & maybe those remaining players being limited on options?
Jason Mackey
12:11
Ehh ... I think they're largely set at a bunch of positions. I think the priority needs to be pitching, and I'm sort of taking your question to mean second base or another position. If that's wrong, lemme know. I just think there's enough to worry about with the starting staff right now that I would be OK rolling the dice with position players. Could change, of course, if they lose some of that via trade.
Cullen
12:11
Did the Pirates offer a contract to Imanaga or did it never get past the talking phase?
Jason Mackey
12:11
Had not heard they offered, but again, that's not always something that's going to be communicated or leaked.
Anon
12:12
Hope you're well Jason. I've seen two names listed as having had the same (seemingly) uncommon forearm surgery that Marco Gonzales had to "decompress" a nerve in his forearm, Scott Alexander and Brandon Morrow. Both had their careers extended significantly but neither came close to resuming a standard innings workload in any role, minors or majors, apart from Alexander this past year. 4 years removed from surgery.

Are there any details with what exactly Marco had done specifically that indicate he won't have such issues? How many innings do they expect to get there?
Jason Mackey
12:15
I'm not a doctor -- my wife would tell you I'm a medical idiot, and she's right -- and have no business trying to describe a surgical procedure. That said, Gonzales said he's basically been full go since the end of the regular season. He has also been working out at Driveline, which monitors a bunch of pitching nuance. 1. I don't think the Pirates trade for him if there are precipitous drops in pitch quality. 2. The injury itself was never believed to be career-threatening. Given his game is predicated more on location and changing speeds than velocity, the injury stuff doesn't worry me with Gonzales.
Jim M.
12:15
Do you still think the Pirates will sign or trade for another starter that’s a level above a declamation protect? (Nothings against reclamation projects. I hope they add one of those too).
Jason Mackey
12:15
I do, yes. I'm sorry the timeline hasn't matched what I've expected. I know that has caused some consternation among fans wanting the team to do something. But I still believe it's going to happen at some point before spring.
Dan
12:15
Hi Jason. Do you see the Pirates adding another pitcher via free agency? There are only a few goods ones still out there!
Jason Mackey
12:16
I think trade is more likely. Unless we're talking about Yariel Rodriguez.
Dan
12:16
Is a possible reunion with Carlos Santana still in the cards?  What about another catcher?
Jason Mackey
12:18
I would take another catcher over Santana, honestly. I find it hard to believe the Pirates would sign Rowdy Tellez and publicly say he's gonna play first base ... then pivot and bring in someone who's best attribute is playing first base (and the accompanying defense). Also don't see Santana's contract fit (projected to make upwards of $7 million) aligning with the Pirates' needs. In other words, they need to spend on pitching. But, if they trade Connor Joe or something else changes, then, yeah, they loved Santana, and it would make sense. I just don't see it as terribly likely right now. Another catcher, yes. But I think they want to see how Delay/Davis can handle the job, too.
Cullen
12:18
Over/Under on the Pirates payroll being at $120 million in our competitive window?
Jason Mackey
12:19
I know what you're asking, but I'm not sure how I would answer it. I'll say this: There's a wide gap between the projected '24 payroll and $120 million. The chances of getting there aren't good. I also think the organization -- and I don't expect fans to love this; don't shoot the messenger -- doesn't look at payroll the same way. They want a narrow band. Never too high, never too low. Not sure the top end of that is $120 million, though I hope that changes over time the way it did during the 2013-15 era.
Will
12:20
Hi Jason - Baseball Prospectus released Pirate top prospects and I was struck at Pirates being top heavy on pitching prospects (7 of top 10). Are Skenes and Jones close enough to impact rotation needs in 2024?
Jason Mackey
12:22
Same time, Baseball America released something crushing their pitching development. Ha. The truth is in the middle. To answer your question, yes, I see Jones and Skenes as guys who will likely impact their starting rotation in 2024. I also think their pitching depth is relatively decent. Not only those guys but Solometo, Chandler, Harrington, Harrington, Barco, etc.
Guest
12:23
Jason, do you believe management when they keep spewing the same rhetoric about spending money on payroll. Do they believe themselves?
Jason Mackey
12:25
Umm ... that's a nuanced answer, in large part because they don't ever really explicitly say payroll. They usually say spend enough to be competitive, which can be taken to mean other things. The Rays spend enough to be competitive, but they don't spend on payroll. Same for the Guardians and other similar teams. That being said, Travis Williams was saying at PiratesFest that this management team is committed to building a winning team in Pittsburgh. That's great, but your actions show me three starting pitchers, a puny payroll and a quiet offseason. So I understand why people are ticked. I don't know if that answers your question, but that's my thought on it. Actions > words. And the words are often not as explicit as saying we're gonna spend more on MLB players.
Maz01
12:25
Hi Jason, thanks for the chat. The Pirates are not going to sign Montgomery, Snell or Bauer, do you think the Pirates need two starters to compete for a playoff run, and if so will it come from trade?
Jason Mackey
12:27
Lemme work backward -- yes, I think trade is more likely. They need at least one legitimate, middle-of-the-rotation starter that way. From there, could be a variety of routes. Maybe they add a reclamation project. Maybe Priester/Ortiz/Contreras figure it out. Maybe Skenes is up -- and dominant -- soon. I don't know. But they need to add and have some internal things happen if they wanna compete for the postseason in '24.
Gene
12:27
Is Vince Velasquez still on the team and if so will he pitch this year?
Jason Mackey
12:27
He's no longer on the team. He signed a one-year contract and is a free agent. That's the expectation -- yeah. Vince told me he expects to come back in mid-June or so.
Cullen
12:27
Pirates get: Gilbert. Mariners get: Suwinski, Bae, Gonzales. Who says no?
Jason Mackey
12:28
That's an intriguing one, Cullen. Maybe the Mariners, but if I was Cherington -- as much as I like Suwinski -- I would probably do it. Addresses a need in a substantive way.
Will
12:28
For all the hype about big ticket FAs, Pirates best addition will likely in house returning a healthy Cruz to the mix.  Aside from lengthy physical rehab, do you have any progress reports on how he's continued his development? He certainly wasn't 'on the couch' for 8 months.  I still think he's poised for a breakout.
Jason Mackey
12:30
I don't know how much hype there was about big ticket FAs. You know we're talking about the Pirates here, right? Also, we've been writing about Cruz for months. Will link Andrew's story from PiratesFest on his progress. He's 100%. Has been through various stages of this thing. I watched him hit at the end of the year in Philly, and he looked like the same old Cruz. Derek Shelton has talked about seeing the same thing out of Cruz in the DR. Very encouraging with his development. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2024/01/06/pirates-oneil-c...
Dan
12:30
Hi Jason.  Is Vince Velasquez a possible signing?  He wouldn’t break the bank and is a known quantity.  How much would he realistically demand contract wise?
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