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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 05.27.20
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Jason Mackey
10:58
Hi folks. Welcome to my weekly Pirates chat. Thanks for stopping by. Glad to have you. Feel free to ask your questions now. I'll be back at noon to answer them.
12:01
OK, people. Away we go.
Jacque Strap
12:01
Cocoa puffs on the bed, huh? What would your preferred five minutes of 'escape' be?
Jason Mackey
12:02
Guess you saw that on Twitter, huh? Good for my wife. I'm glad she did that. Nothing fancy, honestly. And it usually involves sneaking some sort of dessert, so my kids either don't freak out or try to steal it. Lately it's been Trader Joe's Cookie Butter ice cream. Incredible.
Guest
12:02
What are the chances that MARK CUBAN will piggyback on his purchase of THE O, and also buy the Pirates from BOB NUTHOUSE/Nutting (lol) ??
Jason Mackey
12:02
I decided to randomly email Cuban last summer to see if he would respond to that question. This is what he said: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2019/07/30/pittsburgh-pira...
12:04
To summarize, one, he doesn't believe they're even for sale. Valid point. Two, there isn't a strong, young audience for baseball. Also a valid point -- and the sport is making things worse with this financial junk. Three, Cuban doesn't want to spend the time necessary to own a baseball team. Not sure I buy that one. If Nutting put the Pirates up for sale, regardless of what he said, I think Cuban would at least have a conversation.
Scott
12:04
Why is money always a problem in baseball? This is getting ridiculous. I completely understand wanting to get your worth amid the health risk, but taking a pay cut for half of one season can not be the worst thing to happen to these guys. Gerrit Cole can survive on $9 million a year and play baseball if I can go work at Walmart everyday risking my health making far less. It’s time to get this plan agreed on.
Jason Mackey
12:06
I think a lot of people feel that way, Scott. You're not wrong. It's a terrible look for the sport. I also see the players' side, where they think they agreed to something already. They're also wary of owners who are saying they've lost a ton of money and don't offer incontrovertible proof of that, specifically as it relates to those losses including only baseball revenue. There's a lot of distrust there and has been for some time. It's sad. Why it's always a problem likely has more to do with that than the present; years and years of sniping, screwing each other over, etc.
12:08
One thing I don't understand is why the sport isn't willing to just move on for a year. I like Gerrit Cole a lot. Think he's a tremendous pitcher. This isn't meant to insult him. But if you think the deal sucks for you, OK, fine. Sit out. No harm. Come back next year. But let's try to put a product out there with the people who want to play and feel it makes sense for them. I feel like the dude making the league minimum who is trying to make an impression and provide for his family is naturally going to be willing to assume more risk than those who make $30-plus-million/year. Is there anything wrong with that?
GH
12:08
Hi Jason, Michael Jordan & Tom Brady are regarded as the GOAT’s of their sports. Who do you think are the GOAT’s of baseball and hockey?
Jason Mackey
12:12
First off, I don't know if I agree with you that those guys are the greatest basketball and football players of all-time; however, for the sake of your question, let's just move on. ... Best hockey player ability-wise, in my opinion, is Mario Lemieux. But I understand why you can't say Best of All-Time, due to all the time he missed. At that point, it's hard to not say Gretzky, right? Behind him would probably be Bobby Orr followed by Gordie Howe. Baseball-wise, I'd probably go Babe Ruth followed by Willie Mays and then maybe Ted Williams or Ty Cobb.
Wayward
12:12
Jason, I know you can't know which players kept theirselves in the best condition, but who do you see the season delay helping and who do you potentially see it hurting the most?
Jason Mackey
12:14
Individually, that's a good one. Honestly, from what I know, I don't worry about whether Pirates players are doing enough. They are. I could see a shortened season really helping someone like Jarrod Dyson, because of his age. (He's not old but obviously a vet who I think would benefit from fewer games.) Less injury risk for Polanco. That's something. Someone like Keller might benefit from more starts and learning throughout the year. Could make developing a little tougher, I suppose.
paullochrane@yahoo.com
12:14
with all the problems for the pirates with the fans, why isn't there more of a grass roots movement for all fans not attend games this year? it would be a perfect time for all fans to band together and just stop attending, with social distancing  and people not feeling safe i think it would be "as trump says" PERFECT TIMING
Jason Mackey
12:15
There likely won't be any fans at MLB games this season. Also, no need to politicize a baseball chat.
Alan
12:15
They have to draft a catcher with their first pick...Don't they?
Jason Mackey
12:17
I go back and forth on this. I certainly think it's something to consider. I also really like Heston Kjerstad, the Arkansas outfielder with a ton of power. Hard to disagree there. I think it might come down to what they feel like they can get with their comp pick at No. 31. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel has them taking Kjerstad at No. 7 and Arizona's Austin Wells at No. 31. I would imagine that one of those two picks will be a catcher.
Ricky
12:17
The pirates should sign Yasiel Puig. He would be a good addition to the club and now would most likely be very affordable.
Jason Mackey
12:17
Thank you for the weekly mention of Yasiel Puig. Would not be a weekly Pirates chat -- or 2020 season -- without it.
🐐
12:17
When Is this transaction freeze over with?
Jason Mackey
12:18
I would imagine after they come to some sort of agreement. If they come to some sort of agreement.
Butch
12:18
What is the likely deadline on coming to a agreement for there to be baseball this season?
Jason Mackey
12:18
Hey Butch. You're probably looking at the end of next week. If they can't get something done by then, it's going to make it really tough to play 82 games and finish by a reasonable date.
12:19
Folks, our numbers show a decent amount of people in this chat, but I'm all out of questions. If you're scared to ask something because you think it sounds stupid or whatever, don't be. Fire away. About baseball or, really, anything.
Alan
12:27
With only 5 rounds what do college seniors do who dont get drafted but would have? Work at Target?
Jason Mackey
12:28
They can sign for $20,000. That stinks, I agree, but that's what was negotiated. I suppose they could work at Target, too, if they really wanted to.
Josh
12:28
If you're drafting based on need in baseball, you've more than likely screwed yourself over. Best Player Available is always the best strategy, which I think baseball people basically all agree on.
Jason Mackey
12:30
Josh, you're very adamant about your answer. FWIW, I agree with you. But I do think it's worthy of being a conversation topic with Bailey -- who's gonna go, what, five spots later? -- and a Pirates system that has literally no catching depth. Also, something else people basically all agree on is that teams evaluate prospects differently than we do on the outside. Maybe they have Bailey that high. You don't know. I don't know. But it's at least close.
Alan
12:30
Odds that PGH gets the first pick in 2021 if there is a season?
Jason Mackey
12:36
I don't gamble or bet, so I have very little conception of "odds." However, I would say "not very good." I'm sure some of you think I'm nuts for thinking this, but I honestly think they will improve a pretty decent amount in 2020. Why do I think that? Because things got really bad in 2019. Guys didn't wanna play for that group. Players were underprepared, especially when it came to pitching. The clubhouse was just ... blah. It was the polar opposite of the environment Derek Shelton has cultivated this spring. Are the Pirates deep enough? Not for 162  games. But they have enough talent to be respectable, I believe.
Butch
12:36
Most interesting Pirates player you have interviewed?
Jason Mackey
12:38
Hmm ... good question. There are a few. Clay Holmes is "interesting," in that he's super nerdy and smart and always into something unique. Joe Musgrove is a terrific talker, open and honest. Keone Kela, too. Jameson Taillon is one of the best people you could ever meet, plus interesting and articulate. Jacob Stallings is tremendous for a few different reasons. It's hard to pick just one, honestly.
12:39
Oh, and geez, Steven Brault is super nice and wacky. Derek Holland has all kinds of strange hobbies and interests that he's more than willing to talk about. It's a very good room.
Josh
12:39
Your opinion, the owners are trying to break the union with the latest proposal, and/or make the highest paid players look like the bad guys? Yay or nay?
Jason Mackey
12:40
I don't think it's that nuanced, John. I think the owners are 1. Starting a negotiation, meaning they're going to start way off to the side of where they eventually want to end up. 2. They're playing this so, yeah, the players look like the jerks if this doesn't happen, when we all know something like a canceled season isn't attributable to one side of the other.
GH
12:40
Agree on your GOAT answers.
Jason Mackey
12:40
Good to hear, GH. If not we'd have to kick you out of this chat. (I'm kidding.)
wvpirate
12:40
I saw a couple teams release about 25 of their minor league players. Do you see the Pirates doing that soon as well? Especially since there will be no minor league baseball this year
Jason Mackey
12:43
I've heard the Pirates hope/intent to pay minor leaguers through June, so I don't know if anything is imminent. I also think that there will be a taxi/development squad, which will feature minor league guys. But as far as making moves like that, yeah, I could see them happening to the Pirates. Could see them happening to a lot of teams, frankly, if there is indeed no season. But I don't see them happening today or tomorrow.
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