Jason Mackey: Hi everyone, thanks for finding my weekly sports chat. We'll get started around noon, but feel free to leave your questions now. You know the drill.
Jason Mackey: Alright, everyone. Thank you for your patience. Let's get started.
PhilinCT: Mr Mackey, as always, thank you for your time and input. It’s Game 1 of the WS in Pittsburgh and the Pirates have a 3-1 lead. The call to the ‘pen to start the 9th is for Mackey because Bednard cut his finger opening an ICL. 1) What uniform number are you wearing and why (all available)? 2) Walking or jogging from the ‘pen? 3) What’s playing on the loudspeaker? Thanks for the opportunity.
Jason Mackey: Hi Phil. My pleasure. Thank you for the lighthearted start. Number is 23. Always has been. I don't know. Got it the first time we could pick numbers as kids. I never deviated. I like what I like. ... Jogging, absolutely. I'm not that showy. ... I'd wanna go Grateful Dead, but I'm not sure it would be the right song/feel for that mood. In college, I used Baba O'Reilly by The Who. It would definitely not be metal, something classic rock. Always thought maybe "I Won't Back Down" by Petty or "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers might fit. Might try some Hendrix, too. Lot of options.
L.J.: Hi Jason! Who are you rooting for in March Madness other than RMU?
Jason Mackey: I always root for schools near where I've been or have personal connections, too. Always root for Maryland. RMU, obviously. My wife went there & used to teach there. Have always been a big Purdue fan dating back to Drew Brees. There's another.
CarraoBracho: That fast "second opinion" news on Jones sound ominous. Anything new on Jared?
Jason Mackey: Nothing new, no. But the number of outcomes where we're talking about a pitcher, his throwing elbow and a second opinion and the story ends positively ... it's small.
L.J.: If you are the Steelers would you just have a bad year and try to select Arch Manning next season?
Jason Mackey: I wouldn't. I don't blame them for trying or wanting to win. It's the execution of it.
L.J.: I know I have a lot questions but do you see McCutchen getting into the HOF?
Jason Mackey: Sadly, no. I'd like to see it. But I have a hard time believing he gets enough of the BBWAA membership to vote for him. Maybe that changes if he can help the Pirates get back into the playoffs again.
Guest: How long until Chandler is toeing the rubber in a big league uniform?
Jason Mackey: I don't think long. He need a little more work in spring. There's zero wrong with that. He's made 7 starts at Triple-A. I'll say May.
Guest: Hi Jason, I’m moving to Austin, Texas in a few weeks and wanted to check out an Astros or rangers game in Arlington or Houston. Have you been to either stadium? If so, which one is worth the trip if you could only do one?
Jason Mackey: I've been to both -- granted Arlington was for the All-Star Game. So, a little different. I'd go Houston. I think it's a really great/unique experience. Feels a little cozier to me. But I don't think you can go wrong either way.
Guest: Can you help me understand why 10 million was spend on Chapman last year and 5 million on Heaney this year when that money could have been allocated to help a horrendous offense?
Jason Mackey: Well, they need pitching depth as we're seeing. I have zero issue with spending $5 million on Heaney. I thought Chapman was an overpay. But we can't talk about that move in conjunction with this year's offense. That's not linear. If you want them to spend more, I get it. I'm also not going to criticize them for signing a perfectly capable major league starter for $5 million.
George T: Hi Jason, With NYY losing Cole for the season and the Pirates needing hitting should they look to see what the Yankees would what and give up. They may need pitching and we need hitters.
Jason Mackey: It's easy to make that leap. It also never hurts to call. But as we've seen with Oviedo and Jones going down, you can never have enough pitching. I'd expect the entire group (meaning offense) to have a different philosophy and perform better.
Fred: Bob Nutting has beat us down again on payroll. Is there any reason for optimism - I mean any? About anything?
Jason Mackey: Yes. Plenty. But it's not my job to sales pitch on the Pirates, Fred. I think this group can finish over .500 if it pitches well, gets enough offense, improves with fundamentals, has a functional bullpen, etc. You're not going to believe it or think anything of them until it happens, so I'm not sure why I would waste my time now trying to sell something into the ether.
Guest: Do you think the garbage that is spewn from Travis Williams and Ben Cherington any time they get in front of the mike is actually stuff they believe? Do they actually in their heart of hearts really believe that they are trying to compete? Or are they simply trying to keep their jobs and spewing what they are told to spew from the owner? They can't possibly be that stupid to think Pirates fans believe anything that they say,
Jason Mackey: You think Bob Nutting is giving Travis Williams and Ben Cherington talking points? Do you think he also gives them fashion advice? It is possible to win without spending a ton. Look at the Rays, Guardians, Orioles, A's, etc. The Pirates just haven't been smart enough in their decision-making.
PrinceBob: Do you think the A's will really ever play in Las Vegas? If this is a done deal why hasn't construction of the stadium started yet? Why wait? And from what I read the plot of land seems too small for an MLB stadium. I read that there will be parking for only 3,000 cars but a seating capacity of about 30,000. You might be able to do that in an eastern city with a lot of public transit but in Las Vegas? It just seems to me that there are obstacles here.
Jason Mackey: I do. I think it makes all the sense in the world. I'm not a construction expert, but I would imagine building a place that looks like that, on or near the strip, doesn't just happen overnight. Look at what happened with the Golden Knights and Raiders. The A's will get there.
Mac: Name the best Steelers draft pick of the last eight years (before TJ Watt basically). When you think about that question, doesn't it basically describe everything that is wrong with this organization? They have not developed a true Pro-Bowl, all-pro level talent in the past eight or nine years since TJ.
Jason Mackey: I'd probably go with Alex Highsmith, but I know that's not your point. And I don't disagree. Their drafting hasn't been good enough. A big reason why they haven't won a playoff game in a long time & there's so much frustration around them.
PrinceBob: Part II of the stadium questions is what the Rays will do about the early evening rain that is so frequent in that part of the country in the summer now that have no roof? How do the minor league teams there deal with it? And does the death of the St. Petersburgh and the Rays evident future at the Trop make it more likely that Manfred will be less commited to keeping the team in Tampa Bay?
Jason Mackey: I don't have any creative ways to combat rain, sorry. Tarps? Don't play during it? I don't know what I could come up with here. I'd suggest a rain dance, but I don't know any. ... I do think no stadium in Tampa could open the Rays up to relocation. Manfred wants teams other places. Would not shock me if the discourse became the Pacific Northwest or Nashville. Perhaps even Raleigh/Durham or Montreal.
Pittfan: Hi Jason. I read that Justin Fields chose the Jets because of Aaron Glenn. Is that an indictment on Mike Tomlin, the coach all players want to play for?
Jason Mackey: I don't think so. Justin Fields should want to play for his head coach. I'm also willing to bet the Jets offered him more guaranteed money than anyone else. Which is fine. But I don't think that says anything bigger about Tomlin. This also isn't a defense of Tomlin. I just see Fields' comments as a bit sideways of the Steelers head coach.
Gene: Do you think the Pirates open with 3 catchers on the roster or does one get sent to triple A.
Jason Mackey: One will get sent to Triple-A. Probably Endy.
Aces High: If this is a weak class of QBs in the same manner the KP class was, how are they now projecting 4 QBs going to go in the first round and would the Steelers really go that route again when the DL was shredded for 300 yds in a playoff game to the hated Ratbirds?
Jason Mackey: I hope not. I agree with you -- I'd prefer to see them address defensive line. But, I guess if Sanders falls, they'd have to at least consider it.
GPT: Other than (most likely) Travis Williams feeding bogus info to Kovacevic, have you ever heard that the Pirates are somehow losing money annually? We generally know what their revenues are and we certainly know what their meager expenditures are at the MLB level. If they're spending pennies and still losing money, then here's hoping Nutting sells the team while we still have Skenes.
Jason Mackey: I've heard that, yes. I've always heard the assertion that they're making a lot of it. Truthfully, I don't know what to believe. I have not seen their books. I've long contended they should make them public & put this all to rest. I do find it hard to believe that they're losing money, Bob could sell for $1.5 billion, and he resists that idea. If I was losing money on something, I would absolutely sell for that price tag. There must be something in it for him, right?
PrinceBob: I know spring training numbers don't mean much but sometimes they do. Was there anything Matt Gorski could have done this spring to get him onto the big club out of spring training? Is there anything he can do at Indianapolis to get him called up? And if David Bednar had a normal Bednar year last season I'd just shrug off that spring ERA but given how last season went are people concerned?
Jason Mackey: More than my wife ... no on Gorski. I think he goes to Triple-A, then has to keep hitting. ... With Bednar, I get it. I'm not concerned. It doesn't matter. He's working on stuff. We've seen guys stink and be really good in spring. There's no correlation to the regular season.
Aces High: DK has a really good article saying the Pirates are actually losing money. If they are losing money, why doesn't Mr. Nutting sell when he is probably the most unpopular person in town? Have the Pirates taken over as the worst run organization in sports now that the Browns and Bengals aren't the laughing stock they once were?
Jason Mackey: I don't rank poorly run organizations throughout sports, and I'm not going to start now. I had the same question after reading Dejan's piece: If it's this bad, why keep doing it? Also, again, they CAN win this way. I hope at some point it sinks it. If they draft a bunch of young pitching, if they spend smartly, if they find players, if they develop, all this stuff small-market teams do, they can win. They just haven't done it well enough.
PrinceBob: Why do you think no one has signed Alex Verdugo? Attiude issues? Other guys with questionable attitudes get signed all the time if they can hit. Had a poor season last year? One poor season is almost never keeps some team from hoping to make a guy a reclamation project. It's kind of the Pirates mode of operating. Which I suppose leads to this. Do you think he'd have been a better signing than Tommy Pham except for the fact that he'd probably have cost more.
Jason Mackey: I'll take Pham. I don't know enough about Verdugo.
34russellhof: Sandy Koufax said years ago that the reason young pitchers get hurt so often is they grew up playing baseball whenever leagues running and playing video games most of the time. Baseball fields were empty most of the year. The old time pitchers played in pasture fields and used whatever they could find to play ball. These pitchers threw 300 plus innings and completed over half their games. Your opinion?
Jason Mackey: Pitching is different now. I'm not going to solve baseball injuries in one chat response, believe me. Not gonna try. But I don't think what is asked of pitchers -- throw it as hard as you can every pitch, snap violently and do it from a young age -- puts people in position to stay healthy. I do agree that the arm should be used regularly ... and also in moderation. We've gotten away from that.
Jlm: Should the Steelers consider Carson Wentz ?
Jason Mackey: For what?
Greg in Greenville: Jason, Hi and thanks for the chat. I don't always agree with you but you make me think and I feel that you are an excellent writer. Any how, do you feel that Pitt coaches Jeff and Pat are on the hotseat this year
Jason Mackey: Thanks, Greg. If everyone agreed with me all the time, I would be doing a terrible job. ... I don't. Maybe they should be, but their buyouts are extremely prohibitive.
Guest: The Penguins are most likely not going to make the playoffs and in the last two years have accumulated a high amount of draft picks for the next three years that can help accelerate the process. Do you trust Kyle Dubas to rebuild this roster into a successful one? This is the man who despite all the red flags still wont fire Mike Sullivan and thought it was a good idea to hand Tristan Jarry and Ryan Graves fat contracts despite never coming close to deserving them based on their actual performances. Not to mention, trading for Erik Karlsson and hamstringing their cap space as a result. I don’t mean to be negative but there’s nothing from Dubas or even Fenway based on their decisions that they want or know how to turn this franchise back into a success again. It’s all mediocrity in my opinion just like the Pirates.
Jason Mackey: They're not going to make the playoffs. You can remove the "most likely." ... Also, do you really think this has been Sullivan's fault? I understand the idea that, early on, they could have made a move for a spark. But I can't sit here and say, with basically full context, that they're going to miss the playoffs because Sullivan is a bad coach. That sounds like what you're saying. I don't know on Dubas. I liked what he did in Toronto. The Graves/Jarry/Karlsson moves obviously weren't great. I can see having a split opinion there.
Tim: If Jared Jones is out for an extended period of time, it seems devastating to me for the Pirates, second only to a Skenes injury. How well do you think they can plug and play one of the young guys in terms of getting similar results?
Jason Mackey: Reasonably well, honestly. They have solid pitching depth. I've liked Harrington. Bubba will be ready soon. Maybe Mlodzinski sticks. Don't get me wrong. It sucks Jones is hurt. But I think they can back-fill decently well.
Guido: Jason, did AR Deuce lose yet more credibility (i.e., after vowing to fix the run game for almost a decade) when he publicly stated his at least partial affection for one RW?
Jason Mackey: A right wing? Ryan Whitney? Ryan Winn? What are you saying here?
Ray O/C: Hello Jason, Big Fan.. My questions are the 'burg announcers for the Bucs and Pens. Josh Getzoff, who makes every goal call sounds like the Game 7 winner is horrible, yet he replaced the very good Steve Mears I buy the Hockey package and listen to the other teams feed. The worst is Joe Block, how did he get hired? Again I buy the package and cant take him. What is management thinking with these 2 guys? Thx Jason..
Jason Mackey: Thanks, Ray. I couldn't disagree with you more. I actually don't know what your question is. But I watch/listen to a lot of hockey and baseball. It's been my job for 10-plus years. Josh and Joe are two of the best I've heard. They also prepare so darn much; I think it adds a lot to the broadcast. They're also tremendous people. You're allowed to feel however you want, including about me, but I have a very different opinion.
Gene: If the Steelers don’t add another QB in FA who would you like in the draft?
Jason Mackey: If Jaxson Dart falls, I'd be intrigued. I don't think he will. My next choice might be Will Howard.
Henry Hill: Greetings Jason; the Steelers still haven't heeded your excellent advice to sign Jameis Winston, what gives? Do you think it will ultimately come down to resigning Russ? I think ARrod is going to announce his retirement right before the draft and the Steelers will look like chumps who got dumped the night before the prom.
Jason Mackey: They're waiting on Rodgers. I do think they would consider Winston, but they're clearing allowing Rodgers to decide. Have a hard time believing it will be Russ based on how things ended. If they want Russ, they could sign him right now.
Sunglass Bob: Jason, is your average yinzer really going to buy the argument that we are struggling financially? My cool shades alone would seem to indicate that this proud Appalachian is doing just fine, thank you.
Jason Mackey: I have no idea. All I'm saying -- and I'm just trying to be honest here -- is that it's not the first time I've heard the assertion that the Pirates don't make as much as people think they do.
Jimmy: How do you feel about that "lets trade from out pitching depth" to get a bat now?
Jason Mackey: It would depend on the bat, but I'd probably be against it. You need pitching depth. We're already seeing the need for it with Jones & Oviedo down. And the season hasn't even started yet.
Mike from MD: Hello Jason. I am, really kind of over the Pirates for the time being. I used to really love watching the team, and followed every move for decades. I just do not see much real hope there. I am not arguing that anyone else should not care. The only thing that I am curious about are the two reports that came out talking about Pirates finances. I understand that this has always been a topic of much discussion. I have always thought that they were a franchise that was more incompetent as well as dealing with market size limitations, but would be interested to know if you have any thoughts on the accuracy of the report on the PG (https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2025/03/16/bob-nutting-pit...)
Jason Mackey: Mike, guessing your question got cut off. I'm not interested in comparing the conflicting reports if that's what you're asking. I don't comment on other reporters' work, and I wasn't intimately involved with Belko's story other than answering a few questions via text to help him find information. You're allowed to be over the Pirates. You're allowed to think whatever you want. But I find it odd in general the need for people to declare that they're over something.
Guest: Those teams haven't won anything. They just compete.
Jason Mackey: Absolutely. Which teams?
Ryan: Good afternoon Jason with opening Day Next Week who will be Joey Barts backup i am thinking that it will be Henry Davis LETS GO BUCS
Jason Mackey: That would be my pick.
YINZER Tom: Jason, one Steelers and one Pirates question. Steelers? I thought we wanted volunteers not hostages? Would #2 be the epitome of a volunteer? Are we not being held hostage by someone else? Pirates? Read the financials on Sunday. I buy into the PBC side of the story. So safe to say they are running the right “strategy” but horrible execution? Should Manager or GM take the responsibility?
Jason Mackey: Agree on the Steelers/hostage point. I would give Rodgers a deadline. A lot of the ugliness here is on them for allowing them to be dragged around by a player. You don't have to put up with it. In or out. Simple as that.
Not sure what you're saying about the Pirates. My points above stand. You can win in this market, on a budget. They just have to be smarter. Those guys have taken responsibility. They also just need to be better.
YINZER Tom: Jason, one more….Gorski? Why do we never hear of him as an OF/1B. He seems to have had a good spring?
Jason Mackey: It's been in the second half of games, against minor leaguers. Until they're giving him more prominent reps, that path almost always leads to Triple-A. If he keeps hitting there, great. Maybe we have something. But little of his production has come against guys who are gonna be in the big leagues to start.
Jlm: I assume you don’t think much of arson
Jason Mackey: Very much against it. ... Unless you mean Judge, of course.
Jason Mackey: OK, folks. That does it. Thanks so much for participating. Appreciate the patience, again, on the dental side of things. Had to have two permanent crowns put in. Mailbag next week -- which will publish from Miami for opening day. Crazy.
First Published: March 20, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
