Steel City Pirates Q&A – Off Day Questions are the best Questions

4-18-24 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

It’s been a while but you didn’t lose your touch, great questions, let’s go!

Question 1

Everyone loves Cutch and he brings some intangibles but is having a DH only guy on the roster hurt more than help? – PNC Yark

Hey, nothing like starting out on fire. Cutch is such an odd case. For instance, if he’s a DH who they’re playing 5-6 times a week, ok, it’s a spot on the roster, so be it. Instead, he’s been a DH they’re using 3-4 times a week at best and it renders his spot on the roster kind of useless 3-4 times a week, and that’s when he’s producing at the plate.

It’s part of why some of us thought it was key to get Cutch back out in the field a bit more, because it keeps him involved and it would allow you to carry one less outfielder in lieu of what I feel is clearly needed right now, an extra infielder.

There’s no delicate way to put it, Cutch is important here and I believe he’ll produce runs for this team, but he isn’t a great fit right now and his presence makes less sense the less he plays, even as I 100% understand the need to reduce his role.

I’ve heard now in a rather matter of fact fashion that he intends to play a couple more years, and while the last thing I want is a divorce that hurts this fan base, I don’t know how they could go into next year with a similar setup. And it’s not like next year he’ll show up ready to handle 60 games in the outfield.

Now, “more harm than good”, show me all the incredible bats he’s holding back and we’ll talk. At it’s most basic, the question is, by the end of the year will Cutch be one of this team’s best or most productive hitters? I’ll say this, he’ll be in their top 7 or 8 and that probably speaks to him having a spot and earning it.

Good stuff though, we can’t be afraid to discuss this stuff, even about legends.

Question 2

After the trade deadline, we saw young guys come up and create a spark, adding to our win column. Do we think there will be some shake-up earlier in the season to spark our slumping offense? – R.J. Jones

Yes we did, and we’ll see more of it this year. In fact, I could (and did) argue that Jared Jones should have gotten a shot last year, instead, he joined that early season spark instead. There will be a shake up, if only because they have a lot of guys with options and room to do so. They can afford to play the hot hand or give other guys a shot.

Thing is, those needs have to align with who’s hot. Like Triolo could be replaced, but he’s like 3rd on the team in batting average. Alika could be replaced, but he’s hitting over .300 and playing good defense, let’s not even drag in that he was a number 1 pick too.

You could replace an outfielder like Olivares or Joe, even Jack but your options right now would be Bae or Palacios, I’m not sure I’d make that call quickly. Davis has struggled, and certainly could go down but where’s the offensive explosion waiting to come up?

Most of the injections of spark this year in my mind come on the mound from Priester, Skenes and others.

And I think that could start as early as tomorrow, but 20 games, man that’s barely enough to even have much more than a concerned eyebrow raise from a baseball exec. The shear volume of position players, I just don’t see. This next wave is very pitcher heavy.

Question 3

With Skenes on the doorstep, Jones looking like the real deal, plus Keller, where, and Burrows being close. Where if anywhere do you see Priester fitting in – Greg Roland

Let me start here, I’m not sure where “Burrows is close” is coming from. In fact, I can see a world where he gets a shot in the pen late in the year but he won’t truly be a factor for this team unless they’re out of it and injury depleted come September, maybe then you could jump him and give him a run, but asking him to win pennant race games, man, I don’t see that. He was a promising prospect, not some guy who’s got a season in MLB under his belt and an established role to walk back into.

Jones, Skenes, Keller, man that sounds nice, but I don’t see the immediate need to toss Priester aside like it happens this year or it doesn’t. He has a lot of options, a lot of talent and he’ll get his first shot tomorrow.

When we start looking at all these pitchers, we somehow ignore how often pitchers get hurt. What looks like 10 may wind up being 6. I know the team won’t, but fans would do well to open their minds to what may make the rotation go. Priester could get 5-6 starts here in MLB and 18-24 in AAA. He could come up and go back 2 or 3 times. He could look so good you’re asking me how they fit Solometo next year. Perhaps he becomes the long man they need, all the others who could be that have been only used for 2 inning stretches most of the time.

We don’t need to flush guys before we have to flush them. I mean, he could even be a guy who by next year has like 15 MLB starts under his belt, looks promising but the Pirates just have too much to let him break through and then he becomes a valuable player to deal.

Question 4

Who’s your top 5 realistic targets with the 9th pick? – Jay Pagliaro

It’s super early honestly. And when the Pirates aren’t picking in the top 5, who the hell knows ya know?

Here are the 5 I like the best in that realistic zone right now.

1B/P Jac Caglianone from Florida, 1B/OF Charlie Condon from Georgia, OF Konnor Griffin from Jackson Prep (MS), OF Vance Honeycutt from North Carolina, and LHP Josh Hartle from Wake Forest.

There are only 2 pitchers in the top 15 projected right now and Hartle is the top at 13.

That said, this list will change, college players will shine, high school players will crop up and be dark horse for a top pick.

I feel pretty confident though, this is a very position player heavy top of the board, and unless he moves up Hartle will be a reach. I’d expect a position player and I wouldn’t be shocked if it was a High School player, they don’t need to be in a hurry for the talent to get here at this point.

This also is in no way my specialty, but you asked….

Question 5

Henry Davis – umm, what the hell? – David Stegon
1-10 level of concern with Henry’s approach and output at the plate. -Sully

Let’s start defensively. He’s been so much better than I thought he’d be that now we get to nitpick. That’s a good thing believe it or not, especially with a young catcher. 2 are kinda little and easy to fix things, and 1 maybe not so much.

1st of the small issues, he just lets the game get away from him at times in the moment and makes an emotional play. Tries to throw a ball he should just eat, panics and cant find a ball he just blocked. Experience is the only fix for this.

2nd small issue, he tends to feed off his pitchers energy, good or bad and he needs to be more of a steadying force. I’ve seen this more with the bullpen than the starters and that makes sense, he’s worked with them a lot less and they are less about their relationship with the catcher in the first place. But Henry needs to grow into being able to slow down the game for them. When he doesn’t get a call, don’t try harder to frame, it just makes it look more obvious and costs you calls. Just don’t let the game change your job, do your job the right way and let the game happen around you. Again, experience.

3rd and in my mind biggest, control the run game. I don’t mean when Chapman is pitching, a walk is a triple against Chapman, he ain’t holding anyone on and he takes a month to the plate. But the other guys, he has to do better. His pop time isn’t crazy good, but his arm is better than most. He’s getting the ball there, but not in tag position, his throws are coming in high and it’s costing him caught stealing stats. He’s beaten 6 runners to the spot with his throws this year but all of them were at the numbers and those extra seconds applying a tag from a chest high throw are too much. Experience, training and trust his middle infielders will keep it in front of them is a hard trifecta to hit.

Now with the bat. Yeah, he looks lost. Trapped between trying to be patient, wanting to contribute and having no clue what to do with about half the breaking pitches he sees on top of not catching up to the fastball. He’s trying to speed up to catch it, and the funny thing is when he does he pulls it, so he’s sped up so much he has no hope of hitting an off speed pitch in play, if he touches it at all. Fastball issue number two, if the fastball is up, he can’t catch it, well, he can’t get on top of it, so it’s a pop up, foul tip or he just can’t pull the trigger and takes a called strike. If you have zones you can’t touch, it will become your hot zone from pitchers. They win either way, you lose either way.

It’s super early, and when a guy is that out of sorts, in some ways it can be more quickly fixed than when a guy feels he’s doing everything right and not having success.

There’s nothing about Henry I feel time can’t cure. But if the bat stays like this into say late May or Early June, yeah, they may have to do deadline shopping for a catcher if they’re miraculously in it with an underperforming rookie at the help that long. I’d also say, there is value in every lesson he learns this year, next year he can’t be a huge question.

Question 6

Do you see Oneil Cruz being moved off SS in the next year or 2? And if so, where do you think he ends up? – David Wald

I see the possibility. Right field still makes a lot of sense, I don’t think 1B would suit him but who knows, he’s certainly tall enough. DH makes some sense, but he’s got some work to do to make his defense acceptable let alone insignificant.

If he hits, you might deal with SS longer, if he doesn’t, he’s just a guy and you move him wherever you want.

Cruz playing defense is a story, but only because so many of us have made his bat a foregone conclusion, well, it doesn’t look that way early on.

Question 7

This is probably a dumb idea but if they are going to limit Jones and Skenes innings instead of handing games over to the bullpen could they start Jones and let him go his 4 or 5 innings, then give the ball to Skenes to finish the game? I know it won’t happen but wanted to see your thoughts. Hopefully the bullpen can improve. I thought it was going to be a strength this year and still can be. Thanks. – Don Jacobsen

They’ll want both of them to be starters. They might have shorter outings, but not for each other. The rituals and routines of starting in this league have to be learned and adapted to. Yes, you can plan to have a guy go every 5th day out of the pen, but you short the pen by an arm and that guy no matter how you try to manufacture it isn’t getting the same experience as the guy who started and you want both of them walking into 2025 filled to the brim with that experience.

Like what if Jones blows up and it’s 5-0 in the 4th. You go to Skenes and now the best he can do is give you 5 strong innings and likely doesn’t get to win anyway. You limit both when they need limited, not based off the other’s performance.

You’d be more likely to see one paired with Ortiz or Falter types.

Question 8

With the Marco Gonzalez injury, the likely candidate depending on how severe it is, Priester is the likely candidate to step into that fifth spot. Let’s say if Priester pitches well even by the time Gonzalez is healthy, could they use Gonzalez in the bullpen as a reliever? I ask because Priester didn’t have a poor spring, and he’s got nothing more to learn in Triple-A, take away that grand slam he gave up against the Phillies in spring training, his ERA would have been definitely lower. I’d also wanna ask, given the nature and severity of Marco Gonzalez’s injury from a year ago, I’m not sure he’s someone you can ask to throw beyond 80 pitches anymore? Am I right or am I wrong on that? Especially since now the bullpen, which is supposed to be the cream of our pitching staff, is in rough shape right now. – Neal Kokiko

OK. First, we now know Priester will be called up and start Friday. So there’s that.

If Priester pitches well and Gonzales comes back healthy, providing everyone else is still dealing, Priester goes back to AAA. That’s pretty easy, and it will be for them too.

Gonzales is not the same as Jared Jones or Paul Skenes. He’s pitching for a contract. He has to know the Pirates picking up his option for 2024 isn’t likely so he’ll very likely be a free agent. He won’t want to be held back in any way if he’s healthy and the Pirates for lack of a nicer way to say it, won’t care as much about his health. That’s not to say they’ll intentionally injure him, they just proved how quickly they’ll pull him off for the IL, but they also won’t put him on a pitch count. Let’s be very clear, those are for protecting your own investment, not someone’s career.

You don’t abuse guys, cause free agents see that, but guys who sign one year deals, they are here for opportunity, they need the innings. They want to show they’re a workhorse, they don’t want teams to see them as a project or a rehab guy. If he’s healthy they’ll let him go as long as he can.

He of course could go to the pen though, that is on the table for sure, we just have a lot of things that have to happen to see it. A lot more than 2-3 good starts from Priester.

Question 9

With recent bullpen issues do you see Mlodzinzki being called back up ASAP? – Drew Caryll

That would be rather reactionary. The bullpen issues you’re talking to are Bednar and Chapman blowing up a couple times and Mlodzinski won’t take their roles anyway. He’s in that guy who has options pool who could come up at any time in exchange for any number of guys up here who have the same beautiful bullpen gift of options. That’s the beauty of the Pirates bullpen this year, if healthy they have 4-5 fresh arms capable of going back and forth to keep them fresh and from being overworked.

Sounds like a cop out, but they’ve already shown you good players will be optioned and replaced, sometimes twice a week. I expect that most of the year.

Question 10

Do you think multi sport high school athletes should be preferences in drafting? It seems these baseball academy guys are throwing out their arms, and not just the pitchers. – Mark Graham

I’m not qualified to answer this. Reason being, the multi sport athlete is largely dying in high school, almost entirely in college and the few I’ve known anything about still went to all the camps and travel leagues and special trainers that the baseball only guys did.

I just don’t know enough of them exist to ever prioritize them over another. Like, is Bubba Chandler’s arm better because he threw a football instead of a baseball sometimes? How could I know? His story tells me he threw a hell of a lot of baseballs too, even while hitting. I will say he doesn’t have as much on his arm as many his age do though, but even so, it’s one guy.

Good question, I’m not smart enough to answer it and I question the data existing for anyone to tackle if fully.

Question 11

Who does Mlodzinski replace when he is ready? Skenes and Jones threw 128 and 126 innings respectively last year. Is the intent to keep them around those numbers this year or stretch them a bit? 150 should be a good number don’t you think? – Trib Bucks

Kinda answered the Mlodzinski part in Question 9.

Jones will top out around 150 if they do this exactly how they want, and Skenes could be in the 160-170 range. I’ve had these numbers since like January. I’ve written about them and I’ve always said, there could be play in them. For instance, Oviedo was to stop around 155 last year and he wound up topping 170. They’ll adjust if they think they’ve done their due diligence and maybe that experience guides them to err on the side of caution. That said, those are the initial plans and why you’ll see Skenes continue to creep up in innings and Jones get pulled from games he’s cruising in.

Question 12

Do you see the Pirates trading any of the players on 1 year deals before the deadline? – James Littleton

Sure. If everything goes great with health I could totally see them feeling they could move Gonzales, or Taylor, maybe even Perez although I think he’ll have made it pretty clear that would be dumb by then. I could even see them thinking they have enough depth and moving Borucki.

Yes, emphatic yes and not for salary dump purposes for once! Rejoice!

Question 13

What’s happen to Domingo Germán? I’ve seen where he was assigned to Indianapolis, but I don’t see him on their roster, reassign, or released. – Paul Swan

Last I heard, he’s in “development”. I get the impression the team wasn’t kidding about him having to prove a lot to them to get an opportunity. It’s why I feel this deal had more to do with the option they placed on next year than anything he might contribute in 2024.

Not that I couldn’t see him factoring in but because I think he received little interest and if they play this right, they could have themselves a really talented starting pitcher already signed for next year and a full season of working with him to know if it’s worth going forward with. In other words, he’s next year’s free agent flier.

That’s my guess because Paul without a lot of injuries and a lot of work from him, I don’t see it as an urgent matter this year.

Question 14

With the Pirates understandably managing Skenes and Jones pitches and innings, should they consider a modified 6 or 7 man rotation. I’m thinking Keller & Perez mostly pitch every 5th day but everyone else could be spread out and interchangeable. – Jim Maruca

Let me start with this. They won’t do this. They aren’t interested in it, and yes I’ve asked people who would know. I don’t use this card often, but in this case, I feel really solid about it.

Should they? Well, let me start here, it sure is optimistic to believe you have 6 or 7 healthy starters you just can’t imagine putting in a bullpen or back in AAA. Next, you’d never move the 5 other guys around as much as it would take to keep Keller and Perez on their 5 day schedules. You’re talking about trying to schedule something that would look like Cicada Brood charts.

Nah, it just isn’t a thing. And not that you doubt me, but if you need more proof, they’ve made a huge deal out of getting Skenes on an MLB schedule and panicked when Jones had to for the first time go on 5 days rest as opposed to 6. Zero chance they artificially create alterations to routine for most of these guys.

Question 15

Some recently discussed stats include BABIP, strikeouts, and exit velocity, all in a negative light. So you see any positives in the hitting results? – Douglas Smith

If the Pirates are facing a poor pitching staff their system works great. They can probably sweep or dominate most series against those teams. Unfortunately they don’t face a bunch of them.

I see some really good things from Cutch since he hit his homerun. Better swings, cleaner takes, more of the Cutch we know and love. Alika has been really consistent and productive all season. Olivares might be something, it’s early. Reynolds is locked in from the right side.

That’s the list. Hayes has numbers but I don’t like some of what I’m seeing with the pull numbers or launch angle. Feels like it’s slipping a bit.

Triolo has proven he’s semi productive even with normalized BABIP.

Question 16

If Perez continues to do well, is there any way he would extend with us or will we just lose him after one year? – Wilbert Matthews

There’s always a way. And they’ll certainly still need a veteran lefty next year. I guess it might depend on how real this Bailey Falter thing is, I mean they control him if they don’t DFA him.

Perez seems happy here and wanted to come so we’ll see. They’re already using him like an arm they aren’t concerned with saving for later though and we’ve seen what they do with those, they trade them. This is a different year if they’re in it, but if they aren’t he’s probably gone.

I’m not sure what to say beyond that. I mean Tellez could be too. lol

Question 17

With Pirates having only lost 1 of 5 series, being 1 game out of first and 2 out of the best record in the league, how many Pirates fans heads are going to explode before the season is over? The negative over reaction by Pirates “fans” seems to be way over the top, even for them. – Rick Bosworth

I mean, for one thing Rick, I think there are more people around who recognize even if they don’t come out of it all the way this year, they’re closer, so there are more people who care right now than there have been.

Baseball fans struggle to come to grips with this, but most people like baseball and tell people they like it and to them that means they watch 1-2 games a week, and if those two are losses, well next week it might be 1.

Oh, they watch the scores and jump in on conversations but they aren’t reading about them or listening to podcasts or, well, there aren’t any radio shows really. They’re already in joke about the Pirates mode, and working with like 15% of the actual watching of the games you are much of the time.

If you want the truth, it’s this way because the expectations have been raised. There are people here right now who only came back because they heard about Jared Jones and then they tuned in and saw him get yanked after 59 pitches.

Now, you might understand that. I might explain it really well. I’ll talk about it, I’ll write about it, the team will talk about it. They’ll never see it. They’ll just race to a message board, yell Fire Shelton! 59 Pitches something something, Nolan Ryan something something. They’ll be agreed with in spades by people just as tuned in as they are.

Like Jesus said, forgive them, they know not what they do.

By 2026, some of these same people will have decided they are super plugged in, because honestly by then they might be and they’ll start more dumb podcasts and silly sites and half will evaporate like bad farts.

My advice, engage with people who you know want to actually talk about the sport, the Pirates and do so honestly. Think you can’t find any, well, here are 17, 18 if you count me. It’s not your job to correct the record, or help them see that something like miscolored uniforms isn’t Bob Nutting’s fault, just let them be. Let them play in the pool with all the other people who aren’t ready to dive all the way in and when curiosity and paying attention add up to them suddenly wanting to talk, hey, open those arms up big dog and let them bask in what you know.

It’s just not worth anyone’s time to fight these fights.

I’m on two podcasts a week minimum, I write 6-7 pieces about the Pirates every week, I’m all over social media and I engage with just about anyone. I haven’t even made a dent. People that actually want to think about this team as deeply as I and sounds like you do, well, they learn cause they want to. That’s step one in learning, wanting to.

These folks just want to see that tall guy who hits ’em homeruns n’at, now where’s he play? Man he sucks they should make him a first baseman for that fat guy.

Just ignore it and eat your nachos Rick.