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Speaker 1: Opening Day just a little under two weeks away for

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Speaker 1: the Pirates and MLB joining us now from the trip

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Speaker 1: he covers, the Pirates does a fantastic job.

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Speaker 2: He is Kevin Gorman, Kevin, let's.

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Speaker 1: Start with the topic that really all of MLB is

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Speaker 1: fascinated with when it comes to the Pirates, Connor Griffin

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Speaker 1: and his push to make the opening day roster.

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Speaker 2: How do you think his spring has been progressing in

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Speaker 2: your eyes?

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Speaker 3: Well, it depends on what you're evaluating, you know, if

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Speaker 3: you're looking at it strictly from does this guy look

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Speaker 3: like he belongs? He is the moment too big for him?

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Speaker 3: The answer to the first is yes, he does look

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Speaker 3: he looks the part. And it's not just coming from

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Speaker 3: my eyes, but from those of his teammates, you know,

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Speaker 3: guys like Paul Skeins and Brian Reynolds. We're very much

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Speaker 3: endorsing having Connor Griffin be the starting shortstop or being

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Speaker 3: on the opening day roster, you know, for the season,

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Speaker 3: feeling like, hey, this is a team that's made a

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Speaker 3: push in terms of having an aggressive offseason bringing in

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Speaker 3: four All stars. Why not have the guy who's you know,

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Speaker 3: the most talented of your shortstop candidates, why not have

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Speaker 3: him on the opening day roster. If you're looking at

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Speaker 3: it from you know, statistical, he's not playing that great

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Speaker 3: in terms of his batting average, which is only one

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Speaker 3: ninety two. But if you look at his slugging percentage,

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Speaker 3: he's leaving the team. You know, he's got a very

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Speaker 3: strong slugging percentage and he's leaving the team. Or he's

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Speaker 3: tied for the team lead with three home runs in

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Speaker 3: eight RBIs. I'm looking at more that the hard contact

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Speaker 3: that he makes. That he has seven batted balls that

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Speaker 3: are over one hundred miles an hour ex of velocity

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Speaker 3: is is a great indicator to me that this is

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Speaker 3: a guy who is barreling the ball. He's seeing pitches

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Speaker 3: and in those home runs are not strictly fastball hommers.

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Speaker 3: He hit a hanging curve ball off of you know,

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Speaker 3: Ranger Suarez, the left hander from the Boston Red Sox

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Speaker 3: who signed a five year, one hundred and thirty million

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Speaker 3: dollar con so you know that's no chump. He has

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Speaker 3: a four hundred and forty foot home run off of

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Speaker 3: Seth Martinez and that was also you know, an off

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Speaker 3: speed pitch that that this is a guy who is

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Speaker 3: adjusting with every outing. But but there are some concerns.

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Speaker 3: You know, he has six strikeouts and no walks and

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Speaker 3: a batting average below two hundred. But in terms of

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Speaker 3: the way he looks in the field at shortstop, he

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Speaker 3: looks like he belongs. In terms of the way he

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Speaker 3: carries himself in the clubhouse, his teammates are impressed with

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Speaker 3: his humility and the ease with which he's handled all

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Speaker 3: the attention because Connor Griffin has been the biggest storyline

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Speaker 3: of spring training. And that's not just for the Pittsburg virus.

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Speaker 3: That's all of baseball. Every national outlet has come in

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Speaker 3: to see him, and and people are, you know, declaring

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Speaker 3: him a superstar before he's ever played a major league game.

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Speaker 3: And this kid is handled it all with a plumb.

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Speaker 3: I mean he's he's handling it with the grace you

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Speaker 3: would expect of a veteran. And that's maybe the most

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Speaker 3: impressive thing is that Connor Griffin hasn't allowed this to

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Speaker 3: really affect him. So there's a lot to say about

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Speaker 3: the kid. I have a feeling, you know, if it

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Speaker 3: was up to me, he's your opening day starting shortstop.

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Speaker 3: Just roll with him and allow him to adapt, but

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Speaker 3: I have a feeling he's gonna be starting the season

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Speaker 3: in tripa A.

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Speaker 1: Well, you're so right about him being the national storyline, Kevin.

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Speaker 1: You can't turn on the MLB network any given day

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Speaker 1: without him at least being a part of the rundown

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Speaker 1: as the league is obsessed with him. I think everybody

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Speaker 1: wants this to happen, and I hope you're right. I

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Speaker 1: hope that that is what happens on opening day and

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Speaker 1: he's on the rosters. Is there any question in your

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Speaker 1: mind that he's the best defensive shortstop in the organization

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Speaker 1: right now?

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Speaker 3: Well, I had a scout tell me that Jared Trillo

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Speaker 3: is the best defensive shortstop. But then I'll go to

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Speaker 3: be the third base new problem. Then you need a

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Speaker 3: third baseman. And the Pirates didn't address third base because

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Speaker 3: they have confidence that Triolo can handle that position, given

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Speaker 3: how well he played there the last you know, over

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Speaker 3: the last two months of the season. How this is

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Speaker 3: a guy who was a goal glove winner and the

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Speaker 3: miners at third base and is a goal glove winner

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Speaker 3: in the majors, a utility player. If the Pirates were

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Speaker 3: going to make Triolo your shortstop and make him the

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Speaker 3: stop gap until Griffin is ready, that they should have

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Speaker 3: addressed third base perhaps instead of designated hitter. That to

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Speaker 3: me was a sign of confidence in Connor Griffin, that

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Speaker 3: the Pirates have moved forward with Jared Triolo as the

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Speaker 3: guy that they feel can be their third baseman. Not

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Speaker 3: to say that that's set in stone, but I think

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Speaker 3: defense is maybe the least of the worries. Even though

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Speaker 3: he's made some errors, he's also made some spectacular plays

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Speaker 3: that I know from talking to other Pirates. Shortstops are

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Speaker 3: plays that they couldn't get to.

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Speaker 2: Let's take a look at their rotation.

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Speaker 1: Kevin Paul skeins he's obviously foolproof, but a lot hinges.

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Speaker 1: I think on Bubba Chandler being kind of that second ace,

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Speaker 1: if you will, in the rotation, really strong outing for

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Speaker 1: him yesterday only one walk. Does he seem to be

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Speaker 1: honing in those control issues that he had early on

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Speaker 1: in Spring as Spring marches on.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think you know, with Bubba the

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Speaker 3: you have to take into consideration this is a guy

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Speaker 3: who can touch triple digits, and you know, at twenty

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Speaker 3: three or twenty two years old, he's still kind of

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Speaker 3: fascinated with the strikeouts and fascinated with with flashing that

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Speaker 3: you know that for seamer that touches, you know, that

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Speaker 3: flirts with triple digits. He I think Bubba is going

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Speaker 3: to be a guy You're going to have some inconsistency

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Speaker 3: a little bit with you know. I don't think he's

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Speaker 3: going to be as polished as we're used to seeing

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Speaker 3: with Schemes. I think it's more exactly. I mean, there's

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Speaker 3: a reason Paul Schemes was a unanimous Shy Young winner.

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Speaker 3: He's a different breed. And I'll say the same thing

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Speaker 3: and I've said it all along about Connor Griffin. The

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Speaker 3: kid is different. Bubba Chandler is also different. I mean,

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Speaker 3: we're talking a top fifteen prospect. He still has a

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Speaker 3: rookie status. So you know that you could have two

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Speaker 3: Pirates players contending for Rookie of the Year honors if

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Speaker 3: it's Chandler and Griffin, which is pretty amazing given that

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Speaker 3: the Pirates just two years ago had the Rookie of

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Speaker 3: the Year winner in Paul's Schemes. But I think the

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Speaker 3: one thing that gives Bubba a little bit of a

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Speaker 3: cushion is that, at least at the start of the season.

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Speaker 3: It wouldn't surprise me if the number two starting pitcher

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Speaker 3: is Mitch Keller because of what he's proven in his

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Speaker 3: career in terms of being a guy who's made thirty

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Speaker 3: two starts and a guy who's pitched close to two

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Speaker 3: hundred innings and has a two hundred strikeout season in him.

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Speaker 3: That that takes a little pressure off Chandler to come

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Speaker 3: in and be the second ace immediately, although I think

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Speaker 3: he's going to essentially evolve into that, and that gives

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Speaker 3: the Pirates a pretty strong top three in your rotation,

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Speaker 3: and Brax and Ashcraft looks like a pretty solid number

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Speaker 3: four and he's clearly in the you know, the driver's

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Speaker 3: seats for that spot. So it really comes down to

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Speaker 3: the number five starter, and the Pirates have you know,

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Speaker 3: a number of candidates who are competing for that job.

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Speaker 1: I like that call with Mitch Keller being second in

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Speaker 1: the rotation to start the season. It's it's not the

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Speaker 1: worst idea to separate your flamethrowers a little bit too.

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Speaker 2: Don't you think?

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Speaker 4: You know?

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Speaker 3: That's why?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no question about it. Who's trending in your eyes?

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Speaker 1: You mentioned four pitchers there. Who do you think is

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Speaker 1: going to be that fifth arm in the rotation to

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Speaker 1: start the season.

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Speaker 3: Well, you know, I thought Josey Archidi would be the guy,

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Speaker 3: just based on his history with both Don Kelly, you know,

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Speaker 3: with when he was with the Astros and Bill Murphy.

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Speaker 3: Is a new pitching coach, Arkety hasn't looked quite as sharp.

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Speaker 3: And he's also a guy who is only like a

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Speaker 3: year plus removed from Tommy John surgery, spent most of

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Speaker 3: the season last year as a reliever, so I'm not sure,

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Speaker 3: you know, what his role is going to be. The

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Speaker 3: guy everybody in the Pirates clubhouse is really raving about

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Speaker 3: is Mike Clevenger. You know, the thirty five year old

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Speaker 3: right hander also has dealt with a number of injuries,

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Speaker 3: but feels like it seems like he's healthy, feels good,

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Speaker 3: and they like the way that he's adapted. When his

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Speaker 3: fastball wasn't working, he switched to the change up and

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Speaker 3: was able to navigate some innings. But he's impressed his

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Speaker 3: teammates with you know, with his knowledge, with his veteran experience,

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Speaker 3: and maybe with his attitude. He's kind of the he's

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Speaker 3: kind of the dude on this team. You know, he's

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Speaker 3: a big fan of The Big Lebowski and he has

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Speaker 3: that long hair and the goatee and even even wore

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Speaker 3: a cardigan the one day and I said to him,

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Speaker 3: you look like the dude. He goes, that's my favorite movie,

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Speaker 3: and he had he spun around his water bottle and

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Speaker 3: he had a sticker on the water bottle of The

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Speaker 3: Big Lebowski. So I mean, this is a guy who's

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Speaker 3: a little bit of a different cat, and that might

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Speaker 3: be good for a team that's pretty much you know,

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Speaker 3: buttoned up to have a guy who's a little bit

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Speaker 3: of loose and it has a little bit of goofiness

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Speaker 3: to him, even though he also has you know a

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Speaker 3: bit of a checkered history. But Clevenger is making a push.

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Speaker 3: The guy who's the most intriguing is Carmen Majenski, who

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Speaker 3: made the opening day rotation last year, had you know,

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Speaker 3: struggled in his first nine starts to get through the

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Speaker 3: you know, the order a second and third time, and

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Speaker 3: they sent him down to the miners and he kind

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Speaker 3: of refined his repertoire a little bit and kind of

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Speaker 3: leaned more heavily with the splitter, and he seems like

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Speaker 3: a more confident pitcher a guy who you know is

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Speaker 3: is really making that push to be the fifth starter,

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Speaker 3: So it gives them some flexibility that whoever is the

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Speaker 3: fifth starter is going to be a guy who earned

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Speaker 3: it in spring training, and whoever doesn't get that job

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Speaker 3: is going to probably be the long reliever. And maybe

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Speaker 3: you could have two of them. If it's say, you know,

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Speaker 3: Clevenger wins the job, you have to add him to

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Speaker 3: the forty man roster, so it's going to require a move.

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Speaker 3: But you could potentially use Majinsky in multiple roles in

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Speaker 3: the bullpen because he can also be a high leverage guy.

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Speaker 3: But either way, I could see them, you know, trying

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Speaker 3: to find a way to keep at least two or

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Speaker 3: three of those guys that are fighting for that spot.

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Speaker 3: And I say all this knowing that when it really

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Speaker 3: comes down to it, the fifth spot in the rotation

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Speaker 3: in the long run is probably going to be the

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Speaker 3: lefty Hunter Barco, who's a top one hundred prospect. I

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Speaker 3: don't think the Pirates want to rush him in like

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Speaker 3: they did with Thomas Harrington last year, who was also

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Speaker 3: a top one hundred guy. I think they're going to

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Speaker 3: bring him along more slowly. But that's the one thing

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Speaker 3: where the Pirates had the confidence to make those trades

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Speaker 3: where they dealt Mike Burrows, you know, to Houston in

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Speaker 3: a three team trade that got them Brandon Law and

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Speaker 3: Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery, and then they were able

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Speaker 3: to trade Johanno Viedo to Boston for Justins and Garcia,

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Speaker 3: also known as the Password, who's had a great spring

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Speaker 3: as well. So the Pirates knew they had starting pitching

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Speaker 3: depth to deal from, and knew that they have some

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Speaker 3: you know, really good arms in the miners who you know,

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Speaker 3: were just maybe an injury away from being called up.

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Speaker 1: And you know, I think they were signaling that too

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Speaker 1: last year when you look at the trade deadline and

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Speaker 1: they moved Bailey Falter to the Royals. So I think

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Speaker 1: that's definitely something that you could read in to the

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Speaker 1: Pirates and their plans moving forward. I like Leginsky as

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Speaker 1: that placeholder potentially to start the season, and then Barco

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Speaker 1: does come up, because I eventually want Maginsky to slide

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Speaker 1: into that bullpen and use his versatility there. Kevin, I

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Speaker 1: think that could be really maybe the strength of this team.

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Speaker 1: The rotation is really flashy and schemes obviously is the

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Speaker 1: best pitcher in baseball. But if these starters can get

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Speaker 1: to the fifth inning with the lead and hand things

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Speaker 1: over to this bullpen, it could have the potential to

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Speaker 1: be lights out.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the bullpen. The bullpen looks good. It's deeper than

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Speaker 3: it was last year, and you have a couple you know,

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Speaker 3: electric arms back there. Nathan Montgomery is in a bit

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Speaker 3: of a fight for one of the spots because they're

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Speaker 3: probably going to keep two lefties in the pen. In

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Speaker 3: Montgomery and Evan's sister battle for one of those spots.

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Speaker 3: Montgomery throws one hundred miles an hour, but you know,

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Speaker 3: command is an issue. Sisk has a different delivery, with

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Speaker 3: more of a side arm coming from the left side.

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Speaker 3: But in the back end you have Gregory Soto and

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Speaker 3: Dennis Santana, two guys that have closer experience. You know,

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Speaker 3: Soto's a lefty, Santana's alrighty, so they could kind of

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Speaker 3: go match up based, but either way, Soto, before leaving

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Speaker 3: for the WC, looked fantastic. You know, Santana's looked very good,

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Speaker 3: and he looked good in that role last year when

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Speaker 3: he filled in for David Bednor. Both in April and

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Speaker 3: post trade deadline. So the Pirates feel pretty good about

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Speaker 3: the back end of the rotation. One of the guys

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Speaker 3: who's had a terrific spring is Justin Lawrence, who could

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Speaker 3: make a push to be kind of the bridge guy.

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Speaker 3: Uh maybe maybe the seventh inning guy. Maybe he's the

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Speaker 3: fireman in on this in this bullpen. But the Pirates

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Speaker 3: have a lot of live arms. And that's that's the

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Speaker 3: thing that's exciting about this team is that they knew

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Speaker 3: they had the pitching last year and they didn't have

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Speaker 3: the bats to support them. This year, they went out

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Speaker 3: and brought in four All stars. Three of them are sluggers,

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Speaker 3: with Lyle, Ryan O'Hearn and Marcelo Zuna. You add that

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Speaker 3: to the batting order with you know, perhaps you have

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Speaker 3: those guys providing some protection for o Neil Cruz and

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Speaker 3: Brian Reynolds, and you look at it five, you know,

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Speaker 3: five guys, the first five guys in the batting order

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Speaker 3: all have a threat to stake the ball out of

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Speaker 3: the park.

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Speaker 2: How's Ryan O'Hearn taking to the outfield in spring training.

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Speaker 3: He's adjusted pretty well. I think having a two year,

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Speaker 3: twenty nine million dollar contract eases a lot of the

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Speaker 3: concerns for guys. You know, if he's going into a

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Speaker 3: contract year, maybe he's balking at that and saying, hey,

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Speaker 3: I'm much better at first base. But he's got some security,

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Speaker 3: you know, knowing he's got some security and more than anything,

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Speaker 3: that he wants to win. You know, this is a

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Speaker 3: guy who played on Baltimore's one hundred win team two

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Speaker 3: years ago, was traded to the Padres last year, so

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Speaker 3: he was on another, you know, contending team. He cares

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Speaker 3: more about winning than anything. I think, you know O'Hearn,

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Speaker 3: giving given that the told him early on that he's

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Speaker 3: been playing right field, and given that they gave him

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Speaker 3: they're giving him a lot of run there and moving

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Speaker 3: different guys around at first base, that it doesn't look

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Speaker 3: so much like it's going to be a split that

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Speaker 3: maybe more of a seventy to thirty than a fifty

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Speaker 3: to fifty of him playing first base. But you know,

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Speaker 3: there's some concerns defensively, but offensively, you have Cruz Reynolds

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Speaker 3: and O'Hearn, you know, two guys who are all stars

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Speaker 3: and another guy who you know has the potential to

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Speaker 3: be one and has looked fantastic to spring both for

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Speaker 3: the pirates in and the WBC. But defensively it could

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Speaker 3: be an adventure out there. It's kind of a wait

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Speaker 3: and see, let's see how these guys fare.

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Speaker 1: I like Nick Gonzalez on the bench, Jake Mangham on

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Speaker 1: the bench as well for the Bucks. Those are really

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Speaker 1: nice depth pieces, Kevin. Where do you see them kind

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Speaker 1: of factoring in day to day?

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Speaker 3: Well, I mean, Gonzalez is in the competition for the

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Speaker 3: starting shortstop job. If Connor Griffin's not the guy, you know,

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Speaker 3: you could see Gonzalez playing second, short or third, and

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Speaker 3: but I think the further you get them away from

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Speaker 3: second base, the more the range and the arm or

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Speaker 3: the issue. Right. But you know, the thing is, he's

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Speaker 3: a guy who never really had a high on base percentage,

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Speaker 3: and he's I saw him, you know, play for Mexico

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Speaker 3: the other night against Italy and he drew two big walks,

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Speaker 3: and so it seems like he has a more discerning

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Speaker 3: eye and you've got to hope that you know that

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Speaker 3: he can somehow tap into the power that he showed.

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Speaker 3: Because his first two home runs in the Majors were

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Speaker 3: both four hundred footers straight away center at PNC Park.

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Speaker 3: There is power there he just hasn't you know, shown

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Speaker 3: it on a consistent basis. But like like you said,

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Speaker 3: I mean, the guy who was primarily your starting second

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Speaker 3: baseman is now one of your top utility guys. That's

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Speaker 3: that's an upgrade. You know. If Brandon Lau can stay

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Speaker 3: healthy and be as productive as he was last year

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Speaker 3: when he had thirty one homers, you know that that's

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Speaker 3: that's an upgrade for the Pirates and Mangum, you know,

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Speaker 3: gives the Pirates a lot of grit. You know, that

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Speaker 3: may not what you want to be hearing about with

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Speaker 3: one of the new acquisitions, but this is a guy

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Speaker 3: who can play all three outfield spots, so he can spell.

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Speaker 3: He can spell cruise in center field if needed. He's

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Speaker 3: a guy who is knocking it. He's going to hit

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Speaker 3: for high average and not hit for a lot of power.

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Speaker 3: That's the trade off. But he was tied with Trey Turner,

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Speaker 3: who's one of the fastest players in baseball, for the

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Speaker 3: most infield singles last year. He's a guy who the

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Speaker 3: thing that impressed me he saw that the third basemin

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Speaker 3: was playing over at shortstop and laid down a drag bunt.

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Speaker 3: I guess it was a true bunt, but he you know,

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Speaker 3: with a lefty, it's almost like a drag bunt and

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Speaker 3: then beats the throat of first. He's the kind of

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Speaker 3: guy you want to get on base. He's got a

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Speaker 3: chance to steal bases. He's going to run hard and

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Speaker 3: play hard, and for a fourth outfielder, that's pretty much

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Speaker 3: all you can ask for.

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Speaker 1: Kevin, as always, man, thank you for the time. We'll

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Speaker 1: talk to you soon. Only a couple of weeks until

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Speaker 1: opening day. Enjoy the rest of spring training.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. And check out my

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Speaker 3: Connor Griffin piece. I just posted it this afternoon on

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Speaker 3: Trib Live. So that's the big story for the Trip

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Speaker 3: weekend edition.

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Speaker 1: I don't think anybody can get enough of Connor Griffin,

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Speaker 1: so we'll definitely check that out at the trip.

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Speaker 3: Thanks again, Kevin, Hey, thanks for having me. Tom.

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Speaker 1: It's Kevin Gorman from the Trip. Check out that piece

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Speaker 1: on Connor Griffin right now, it's live. You go to

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Speaker 1: his Twitter page, you go to the Trib website check

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Speaker 1: it out there. When we come back, we'll talk about something,

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Speaker 1: not sure what, and then Seth Roerbros scheduled to join

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Speaker 1: us at four thirty I'm kind of in that coast

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Speaker 1: phase now as we're getting close to the end of

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Speaker 1: the week.

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Speaker 2: Can smell that weekend right on the horizon. Tom Off

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Speaker 2: from an Infra.

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Speaker 1: You could call in, Oh, I haven't heard from you

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Speaker 1: all day eight three, three, four, two, nine, nine thirty nine.

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Speaker 1: No one's probably listening. I'm doing this show to like

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Speaker 1: ten people, but nine of you.

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Speaker 2: Eight of you call in. We talk Steelers, we talk.

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Speaker 1: Penguins, Jeff Caple Pitt, Little Pirates, Well, Baseball Classic table

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Speaker 1: set eight three three four thirty nine. It's one O

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Speaker 1: five ninety X.

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Speaker 2: Tom Off from an Infra mark Man. Today, I had

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Speaker 2: a couple of callers lined up, Rich Mike. What the hell, guys,

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Speaker 2: you just hung up. I was gonna get to you

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Speaker 2: right away. You know who you are.

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Speaker 1: Feel great shame you could have gotten on the air

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Speaker 1: on the biggest radio station in town today. You just

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Speaker 1: had a little bit more patience. Think about that. Think

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Speaker 1: about that all weekend long. One of the callers was

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Speaker 1: gonna talk about a free agent that the Steelers could

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Speaker 1: potentially still target. I think it's quite obvious if they

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Speaker 1: were going to go back into the free agency crop

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Speaker 1: at any position.

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Speaker 2: It's gonna be on that offensive line.

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Speaker 1: It's gonna be a guard, maybe a depth tackle to

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Speaker 1: come in, although I wonder if they're just gonna kind

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Speaker 1: of two dogs one bonet with Broderick Jones hoping he's

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Speaker 1: healthy and Dylan Cook next year when they get to

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Speaker 1: the Trope for training camp when it comes to that

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Speaker 1: left tackle spot. But i'd get a guard, you know.

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Speaker 1: Makai Beckton's kind of been a right guard his career.

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Speaker 1: He's been a tackle as well. Could you make him

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Speaker 1: a left guard? He's young, He's gonna cost you a

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Speaker 1: lot of money. He was cut by the Chargers because

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Speaker 1: he's too expensive. But he's only gonna be twenty seven

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Speaker 1: years old. See if he can make that switch. James

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Speaker 1: Daniels is out there. He's a right guard, though I

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Speaker 1: don't know if he could go to the left side.

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Speaker 1: It can't be that hard right So there's some guards

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Speaker 1: out there that I would still kick the tires on.

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Speaker 1: Maybe you address that in the draft. You can't just

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Speaker 1: hand things off to Spencer Anderson though. You can't just

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Speaker 1: say he's your starting left guard right when you move

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Speaker 1: into the dorms at Saint Vincent. So that's kind of

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Speaker 1: the only obvious move I think the Steelers still have

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Speaker 1: to make in free agency. If they're going to make one,

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Speaker 1: they could sign a receiver, but it's gonna have to

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Speaker 1: be kind of the dumpster bin of receivers. You don't

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Speaker 1: want to spend too too much money on any receivers

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Speaker 1: that are still out there.

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Speaker 2: Like they're not going to go out.

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Speaker 1: And get the Digs's or the Deebo Samuels of the world,

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Speaker 1: the Dwan Jennings of the world. They're not going to

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Speaker 1: break the bank there. But could you bring in a

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Speaker 1: Jahan Dotson maybe to help fill out that room?

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Speaker 2: Sure?

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Speaker 1: Could you bring in a Sterling Shepherd maybe to help

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Speaker 1: bring that room to become more complete.

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Speaker 2: Sure, that's kind of what you're looking at there.

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Speaker 1: The big swing left a wide receiver is going to

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Speaker 1: come from the draft, So i'd go guard in free agency.

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Speaker 2: I think you really got to help that out.

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Speaker 1: And I talked about earlier in the show, you use

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Speaker 1: free agency to give yourself some more draft flexibility. Well,

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Speaker 1: right now they're kind of pigeonholed into having to take

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Speaker 1: a guard in the early rounds of the draft. Maybe

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Speaker 1: get away from that, give you some more flexibility of

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Speaker 1: that position by signing a veteran, because one veteran left

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Speaker 1: with Isaac Samalo eight.

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Speaker 2: Through three four one thirty nine is the number to call.

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Speaker 1: This segment was brought to us by eighty four Lumber Dynasty,

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Speaker 1: partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Speaker 2: We'll talk Penguins next.

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Speaker 1: After their disappointing loss to the Vegas Golden Nights last

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Speaker 1: night six to two in Vegas, Penguins now just two

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Speaker 1: points clear of Columbus for a playoff spot. Seth Roorbaugh

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Speaker 1: from the Trip gonna join us next. It's Tom Out

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Speaker 1: from an Infro Mark one O five ninety X Tom

433
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,919
Speaker 1: Up from an Infra mark Man. Today, the Penguins have

434
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,440
Speaker 1: lost two in a row to start this road trip.

435
00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,639
Speaker 1: They did get a loser point in Carolina, though, to

436
00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,480
Speaker 1: kick things off on Tuesday of this week. Six to

437
00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,439
Speaker 1: two defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights

438
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,920
Speaker 1: last night, however, and now the Penguins are just two

439
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,960
Speaker 1: points clear of Columbus for a playoff spot. Let's welcome

440
00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,040
Speaker 1: Seth Roorbaugh from the Trib to the show. Seth I

441
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,440
Speaker 1: viewed Vegas as kind of the quote unquote easiest opponent,

442
00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,600
Speaker 1: if you will on this road trip, especially the way

443
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,280
Speaker 1: they've been playing lately. You could really choose a few

444
00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:11,080
Speaker 1: things here, But what do you think really went wrong

445
00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:12,080
Speaker 1: for the Pens last night?

446
00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:15,680
Speaker 5: Well, they didn't have Sidney Crosby or a Viginny more

447
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:16,200
Speaker 5: good star.

448
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, it's it's odd to say.

449
00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,560
Speaker 5: Even if two guys are, you know, almost forty years old.

450
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,640
Speaker 5: I mean, when you're missing your two league scorers, you're

451
00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:25,560
Speaker 5: probably not going to look like a very good hockey team.

452
00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,720
Speaker 5: And not trying to make excuses, but that's just how

453
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,600
Speaker 5: this roster is constructed. It's it's constructed and has been

454
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,760
Speaker 5: for twenty plus years or around these two guys. And again,

455
00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,760
Speaker 5: even if they're at a late stage of their careers here,

456
00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,440
Speaker 5: when they're missing, you're missing so many more so many things,

457
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,479
Speaker 5: and maybe more so with sid than a guinea at

458
00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,920
Speaker 5: the stage of his career just giving it if Guinny

459
00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:45,800
Speaker 5: he's been dealing with a you know, some kind of

460
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,840
Speaker 5: left shoulder injury here for a couple of months now.

461
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,920
Speaker 5: But it's not just the offense. I mean, Sidney Crosby,

462
00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,560
Speaker 5: I mean, you're you know, you know, the face offs.

463
00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,560
Speaker 5: I mean they've been cratered on face offs just about

464
00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,879
Speaker 5: every game ye since coming back from the Olympics. But

465
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,760
Speaker 5: I mean, you're talking about defense zone coverage. Then when

466
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,119
Speaker 5: you're missing your first line center, all the other lines

467
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:04,960
Speaker 5: have to be reshuffled to some degree.

468
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:06,720
Speaker 4: The fourth line's kind of been static for the.

469
00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,440
Speaker 5: Most part, but you have to reshuffle so much of

470
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,439
Speaker 5: your other depth and that goes on both power play units.

471
00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:16,840
Speaker 5: And again that's that's maybe a super generic answer, but

472
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,280
Speaker 5: I mean to a very specific question about last night's game.

473
00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,840
Speaker 5: But really, I really think ever since, you know, if

474
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,720
Speaker 5: any multen suspensions started, at least they look exactly like

475
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:28,760
Speaker 5: a team that's missing its top two scores. If you

476
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,800
Speaker 5: took Conor McDavid and Leon d Recitel off the Edvonton Oilers,

477
00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:33,760
Speaker 5: they would probably struggle.

478
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,840
Speaker 4: If you took Nate McKinnon and you know, Martin.

479
00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,840
Speaker 5: A Cash off of the Colorado Avalanche, there'll probably be

480
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,160
Speaker 5: a decline in their play as well. So the Penguins

481
00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,240
Speaker 5: looked exactly like a team missing their top two scores

482
00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:44,639
Speaker 5: last night.

483
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:46,880
Speaker 1: No, it might be a generic answer, set, but it's

484
00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 1: an answer that I think it is probably the right

485
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,600
Speaker 1: one because despite she lovs and we'll get to him

486
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:52,000
Speaker 1: in a second.

487
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,640
Speaker 2: It wasn't his best game last night.

488
00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,000
Speaker 1: The Pens were struggling throughout the night to really consistently

489
00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,480
Speaker 1: generate chances, and after the game was over, set the

490
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:01,720
Speaker 1: basically said the same thing that you were just laying

491
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:02,399
Speaker 1: out in that answer.

492
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,520
Speaker 2: They need their captain back badly. They need Geno back badly.

493
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,320
Speaker 5: Yeah, and you know, getting back to maybe the depth

494
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,280
Speaker 5: you know portion of that. I mean, you look at

495
00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,720
Speaker 5: where some of the offense came from from Vegas. I mean,

496
00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,760
Speaker 5: they got contributions throughout their entire lineup, and doubt uh

497
00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,960
Speaker 5: Cayden Korzak, you know, a young defenseman kind of contributed

498
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,320
Speaker 5: to some of the goals there. Colton Systems bottom six

499
00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,200
Speaker 5: four contributed to the opening goal there, so whereas the

500
00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,360
Speaker 5: Penguins largely did not get that. And again, I think

501
00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,200
Speaker 5: that's a that's a trickle down effect or trickle effect

502
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,960
Speaker 5: from just how their death has been reshuffled here in

503
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,640
Speaker 5: the absence of both those players.

504
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,560
Speaker 2: Does your gut tell you that Sid's going to be

505
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:40,760
Speaker 2: back on this road trip?

506
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,240
Speaker 5: I'm probably not the best person asked as because just

507
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:46,720
Speaker 5: giving out I don't travel so much.

508
00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,480
Speaker 2: Your guts, well, what's the gut side.

509
00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:51,280
Speaker 5: I do have quite a gut here, so it should

510
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:52,280
Speaker 5: be pretty knowledgeable.

511
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,720
Speaker 4: But uh, I mean.

512
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,480
Speaker 5: He's been ramping it up. From from the outlets that

513
00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:58,680
Speaker 5: are reporting out there.

514
00:22:58,640 --> 00:22:59,840
Speaker 2: The signs seemed to be there.

515
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:01,560
Speaker 3: They do.

516
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,960
Speaker 5: But I'll say this, having covered him for you know,

517
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,240
Speaker 5: however many years, he's a guy who's very picky about

518
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,600
Speaker 5: how his body is, and that's probably a big reason

519
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,800
Speaker 5: why he has been doing this for twenty some years

520
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,919
Speaker 5: at a high level. If you recall going back to

521
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,879
Speaker 5: you know, the right before the the COVID shut everything

522
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,200
Speaker 5: down the end the core muscle injury that really seemed

523
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,280
Speaker 5: to linger. And I don't think it was necessarily he

524
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,120
Speaker 5: was you know, you know, unable to play through pain

525
00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,440
Speaker 5: or anything. We've seen him do that throughout his career

526
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,239
Speaker 5: at various times. But when something's just not right, he

527
00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,520
Speaker 5: doesn't want to really he's hesitant to really put himself

528
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,560
Speaker 5: into a situation where he might hurt the team and

529
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,160
Speaker 5: potentially even you know, hurt the injury. More So, again,

530
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,119
Speaker 5: you know, based on what the reports of the outlets

531
00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:44,639
Speaker 5: that are covering saying, you know, how he's doing in

532
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,760
Speaker 5: more skates, it sounds nice, but just haven't covered him

533
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,760
Speaker 5: for twenty some years. I'm I'm I'm hesitant to always say, oh, yeah,

534
00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,800
Speaker 5: he's gonna come back on this date, because he's very picky.

535
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,240
Speaker 5: He's very finicky with how his body is physically, purely

536
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,080
Speaker 5: as it may pertain to skating, which his injury or

537
00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,760
Speaker 5: right leg injury, great knee injury would certainly be tied to.

538
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,760
Speaker 1: Not to do the cliche blame the goalie thing here, Seth,

539
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 1: but I think the goalie deserves a fair share of

540
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,480
Speaker 1: blame for what happened specifically last night as well against Vegas.

541
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,560
Speaker 2: So I'm not saying that was all on artist shoe loves.

542
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,760
Speaker 1: I'm not saying it was a defensive clinic and it

543
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,119
Speaker 1: was just the softest goal after the softest goal that

544
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,879
Speaker 1: he let in. But you're eleven for sixteen, I mean

545
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,720
Speaker 1: at some point you got to stop one of those bucks.

546
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,760
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean he's allowed to stop a goal ever

547
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,440
Speaker 5: here and there, and yeah, for the most part, I

548
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:29,440
Speaker 5: think he's done well this year.

549
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,080
Speaker 2: Me too. I think that was a blip on the

550
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 2: radar so far.

551
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, But when when you're dealing without some of your

552
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,240
Speaker 5: major players, you're on this team and you know it's throwing.

553
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,440
Speaker 5: You know, Sam Gerard here, they have some high inspirations

554
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,359
Speaker 5: for him right now. He's out for the past two games.

555
00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,880
Speaker 5: They you need your goaltenders more often not to step

556
00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,119
Speaker 5: up for you when you're playing shorthanded, and you know

557
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,120
Speaker 5: you need them to steal goals. And you know, I'm

558
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,840
Speaker 5: not quite sure, you know, there's maybe something in a

559
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:56,560
Speaker 5: few instances.

560
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:57,560
Speaker 4: You know, obviously the win.

561
00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,080
Speaker 5: Here in Pittsburgh against Vegas was a pretty impressive one

562
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,120
Speaker 5: weeks back. But you know, I'm not quite sure you've

563
00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:07,040
Speaker 5: seen much in terms of the goalies just scaling games either.

564
00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,200
Speaker 5: You know, Sheiloffs were skinner and sertin last night.

565
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,960
Speaker 4: She Lofts did not. But in fairness to him, some

566
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 4: of the chances, many of the chances of the Penguins.

567
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,720
Speaker 5: He offered to Vegas were great, as that that turnover

568
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,040
Speaker 5: by Connor dor which is very uncharacteristic for him to

569
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,320
Speaker 5: the Mitch Marner goal. I mean, that was such just

570
00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,800
Speaker 5: such a a firewagon offensive chance there for Vegas.

571
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,080
Speaker 2: He was out there forever when he made that turnover.

572
00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:34,159
Speaker 5: Two Yeah, but again Arthur Sheloffs could have made one

573
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,359
Speaker 5: or two saves there that made me maybe I made

574
00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 5: that game more competitive in the third period there, you know,

575
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,680
Speaker 5: maybe prevents it keeps the game tied in the second

576
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:44,000
Speaker 5: period going into the third period.

577
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 4: So no, it was not a good game for him.

578
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,560
Speaker 5: Again, he was kind of you know, left out the

579
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,440
Speaker 5: passer on some of those opportunities. But he's a goaltender.

580
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,119
Speaker 5: He's you know, you you can reasonably expecting to steal

581
00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:57,960
Speaker 5: some goals here and there, and that just didn't happen

582
00:25:57,960 --> 00:25:59,160
Speaker 5: in uh in last night's games.

583
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,320
Speaker 1: How great has Carlson been all year and especially with

584
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,439
Speaker 1: Sid out recently, you know, it's funny, Seth. I think

585
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,879
Speaker 1: a big debate we all had was is Eric playing

586
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,120
Speaker 1: this well because of the Team Sweden thing in the Olympics,

587
00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:12,800
Speaker 1: And now that that's in the rear view, mear, what's

588
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,200
Speaker 1: he gonna look like? But he's honestly, maybe been even

589
00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:16,679
Speaker 1: better than he was in the first half of the

590
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,960
Speaker 1: season before the Olympic break now coming out of it,

591
00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,000
Speaker 1: and I think he's taken a lot on his shoulders

592
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,920
Speaker 1: with Sid's absence, and he's been just marvelous.

593
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think he's been the one guy really throughout

594
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,639
Speaker 5: this whole stretch here without Sid and without the guinny.

595
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 4: It's really maybe kind of a elevated his game and he.

596
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,399
Speaker 5: Really tried to try to account for as much as

597
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,200
Speaker 5: he can at a bit different position. And but albeit,

598
00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,440
Speaker 5: but he's a guy who's played a very complete game

599
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,720
Speaker 5: all season long. Frankly, I thought he was a guy

600
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:43,879
Speaker 5: that was gonna get traded.

601
00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:44,639
Speaker 4: Before the season opened.

602
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,280
Speaker 5: It we I think a lot of people did, just

603
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,280
Speaker 5: given how unappetizing the first few years had been here

604
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,520
Speaker 5: for him under Mike Sullvin. But he's been pretty open

605
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,440
Speaker 5: as far as saying he and Mike Selvin didn't see

606
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,560
Speaker 5: ida eye on a lot of things, you know, didn't

607
00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:00,720
Speaker 5: seem to think how he played fit into how Mike

608
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,280
Speaker 5: Selvin one of the defensemen as a whole play. It's

609
00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,840
Speaker 5: only been much more accommodating, I guess with Dan Mughes

610
00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 5: and how he has defense when playing different types of

611
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,160
Speaker 5: ways just based on their skill set. And you've seen

612
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:15,560
Speaker 5: Eric Carlson take on, you know, a greater role as

613
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:16,560
Speaker 5: a penalty killer here.

614
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,000
Speaker 4: You think Eric Carlson defense that you know.

615
00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,600
Speaker 5: Almost didn't seem congruent or or anything like that. But

616
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,159
Speaker 5: he's been solid on the penalty kill this year. So

617
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 5: he's played a much much more complete game all season long.

618
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,879
Speaker 5: But to your point there, originally he's really stepped it

619
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,960
Speaker 5: up as far as you know, trying to maybe help

620
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,919
Speaker 5: fill in the gap here without Sidney Crosby and if

621
00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:41,040
Speaker 5: Guinny Malkins up late, if you can give an MVP

622
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,160
Speaker 5: out for a sequence of eight games, I think Eric

623
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,080
Speaker 5: Carlson would be at leading nominee there. But no, he's

624
00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,800
Speaker 5: he's been, you know, one of their best players, somewhat

625
00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:51,639
Speaker 5: surprisingly throughout the whole season.

626
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:52,400
Speaker 3: Now.

627
00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,800
Speaker 1: Conversely, let Tang has really been struggling lately, although I

628
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,480
Speaker 1: think he played pretty good last night SETH.

629
00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,000
Speaker 2: But is he approaching kind of a liability out there

630
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:00,679
Speaker 2: at times?

631
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,320
Speaker 1: I mean, I hate to say that because he's an

632
00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 1: all time franchise legend. I have his freaking jersey in

633
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:09,880
Speaker 1: his jersey but his T shirt in my drawer at home.

634
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,200
Speaker 1: But it's just what you're seeing from time to time.

635
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:13,840
Speaker 3: I mean, he.

636
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 5: Looks like a guy who's almost forty and has dealt

637
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,200
Speaker 5: with so many dire medical situations.

638
00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:20,680
Speaker 4: I don't mean to make light of any of that.

639
00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,680
Speaker 5: He's him being able to overcome all that be a professional

640
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,280
Speaker 5: hockey player at this stage of life is a triumph.

641
00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,840
Speaker 5: But he looks like a guy who's really gone through

642
00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,320
Speaker 5: the ringer over the two decades he's played at AHL Hockey,

643
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,040
Speaker 5: and he's not the first athlete to see dimssion returns

644
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,080
Speaker 5: as he approaches forty. I mean, he takes great care

645
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 5: of his body. He puts a lot, He invests quite

646
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,680
Speaker 5: a bit into being a professional hockey player at this

647
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,840
Speaker 5: Stageho's career and his success is no accident, but he

648
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:49,720
Speaker 5: just doesn't seem like he's capable of doing the things

649
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,880
Speaker 5: he was fully capable of doing when he was twenty eight,

650
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,760
Speaker 5: twenty nine, thirty years old, and that's no crime. I

651
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,920
Speaker 5: will say, I'm not quite sure the Brett kool Ax

652
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,640
Speaker 5: Sam Gerard trade it was good for him for whatever reason.

653
00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,920
Speaker 5: He really played well with Brett Kolex, and you know,

654
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,280
Speaker 5: he even compared Brett Kolok to Brian Doomin at one

655
00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:09,960
Speaker 5: point said he is a game very similar to Brian

656
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,160
Speaker 5: Doomlan when Brian Doomlin was at his best. Now I

657
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:15,400
Speaker 5: understand the same Gerard tray was made for you know,

658
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,719
Speaker 5: years beyond this one. I mean, Sam Gerard has contract control,

659
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 5: is younger, and you also get a second round pick

660
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 5: out of that transaction too.

661
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,800
Speaker 4: So it wasn't made that deck that.

662
00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,520
Speaker 5: You know, the trade wasn't made specifically for what he

663
00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:29,560
Speaker 5: can mean for the Pangs for the rest of this season,

664
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:34,840
Speaker 5: but in the short term, the more immediate focused, I

665
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,680
Speaker 5: don't know that trade benefited Crystal of Tang at all. Uh.

666
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 5: For whatever reason, Well, Tang and Gerard just didn't seem

667
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,280
Speaker 5: to have any sort of chemistry in the painful games

668
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,280
Speaker 5: they skated together. They've got a slightly better return putting

669
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,680
Speaker 5: Ryan Shay up there. Ryan Shay having a marvelous season,

670
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,000
Speaker 5: by the way from where he was the starting point.

671
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 4: But I think we even saw it earlier in the season.

672
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 5: Uh, Well, Tang and Shade, you had plenty of hiccups

673
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,320
Speaker 5: when they were together for the first two months of

674
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 5: the season. So no, I mean, I think for a

675
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,760
Speaker 5: variety of reasons, Crystal Tang has not had a strong season,

676
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,520
Speaker 5: and you know, just looking him into vision, I mean,

677
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,480
Speaker 5: I just don't think it's coincident that he's, you know,

678
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 5: thirty eight years old, dealt some major things in his career,

679
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,880
Speaker 5: and I think you're just seeing you know, that play

680
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,360
Speaker 5: out as far as where he is in his career

681
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:18,480
Speaker 5: right now, we're.

682
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:20,000
Speaker 1: Talking to Seth Roaba from the trip on the mark

683
00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 1: Man and showed Tom Offermans and in today for Mark Seth.

684
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,200
Speaker 1: Anthony Manta is in the midst of a career year,

685
00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:30,040
Speaker 1: actually set his career high in points last night with

686
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,680
Speaker 1: his assist of Ben Kendall's goal and just a fantastic

687
00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,200
Speaker 1: assist that was. Should the Penguins consider bringing him back

688
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,000
Speaker 1: or is he just simply pricing himself out of Pittsburgh.

689
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 5: I think they should definitely consider. I may be more

690
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,480
Speaker 5: of a question if he wants to consider. I know

691
00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,840
Speaker 5: I talked to him early in the season because he

692
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,080
Speaker 5: has an interesting clause in his contract he can make

693
00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,440
Speaker 5: up to I think like a two point five million

694
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,200
Speaker 5: more based on every like ten games he plays. And

695
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,880
Speaker 5: that's a contract I guess the clause the Penguins put

696
00:30:57,920 --> 00:30:59,560
Speaker 5: into his contract because you know, he came off of

697
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,080
Speaker 5: majorknee injury.

698
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,200
Speaker 4: Right this past season and you.

699
00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,240
Speaker 5: Wanted to maybe give him, you know, that carrot in

700
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,600
Speaker 5: front of him to pursue as he tries to come

701
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:08,040
Speaker 5: back from that.

702
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:09,960
Speaker 4: And you know, so funny, he's very aware of that.

703
00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,120
Speaker 4: Let's just say that that that contract is.

704
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,959
Speaker 5: That clause is there, and that bonus is there, and

705
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:16,520
Speaker 5: he said he wants to play all the two games

706
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:17,240
Speaker 5: this year, so.

707
00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:18,240
Speaker 2: I bet he does.

708
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,920
Speaker 5: And you know another thing he said to me is

709
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,920
Speaker 5: you know he you know, he's at a stage's career,

710
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,600
Speaker 5: thirty one years old. He has a family now, and

711
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,840
Speaker 5: you know, not that he's preparing crying poor and he

712
00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 5: feed his family.

713
00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,280
Speaker 4: Uh ak like you know Cam Hayward, I guess, but he.

714
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:37,240
Speaker 5: Says he wants to set up his family for the

715
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,440
Speaker 5: rest of their lives with his next contract. You know,

716
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:41,840
Speaker 5: if that happens with the Pittsburgh Penguins or some other team,

717
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:44,680
Speaker 5: so be it. But he was given an opportunity here,

718
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,400
Speaker 5: just given the that was limited based on his circumstances

719
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,000
Speaker 5: coming off the major kne injury, and he's meant the

720
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,040
Speaker 5: most of it if he signs somewhere else, So bit

721
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,960
Speaker 5: the Penguins have, I would argue, have been defited immensely,

722
00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:58,800
Speaker 5: uh bringing him in here under you know, less than

723
00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,280
Speaker 5: ideal circumstances, and he's made the most of it. So

724
00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:04,200
Speaker 5: I think he's certainly opened the staying with the Penguins.

725
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,480
Speaker 5: But he's been pretty clear that you know, he wants

726
00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,400
Speaker 5: to try to cash in as much as he can

727
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,280
Speaker 5: at this stage of his career, because this, frankly might

728
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:14,000
Speaker 5: be his one great best chance to really cash in big,

729
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:16,120
Speaker 5: particularly when you look at too the CAP's going to

730
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,480
Speaker 5: be going up in the next few years, so a

731
00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,240
Speaker 5: lot of teams are going to be a wash in

732
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:22,880
Speaker 5: salary cap space. So if he can cash in, good

733
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:23,240
Speaker 5: for him.

734
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,520
Speaker 1: No, he absolutely should do it. And you know that term,

735
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,080
Speaker 1: you know, always he pricing himself out. I don't know

736
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,800
Speaker 1: if that even can exist in Pittsburgh when it comes

737
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 1: to their future cap situation being so plentiful and seth

738
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,640
Speaker 1: there's no one really in the pipeline right now that

739
00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,840
Speaker 1: you would say, oh, that's a future ten million dollars

740
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:41,640
Speaker 1: a year guy that we got to account for. Like

741
00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,440
Speaker 1: Kendall's good, he's a top six, but he's probably not

742
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 1: going to approach that. So and I'm not saying Mantha's

743
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,400
Speaker 1: gonna get ten million a year either, But you know

744
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,960
Speaker 1: what I'm saying, like you could probably afford to pay

745
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 1: a pretty penny to keep Mantha here for two or

746
00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:53,600
Speaker 1: three years.

747
00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,080
Speaker 5: You probably could, But I mean, where's he going to

748
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:58,480
Speaker 5: be in the third or fourth year of that?

749
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,000
Speaker 1: You know, potential contract very fair and you've got the

750
00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 1: guys ready to come up from Wilkes.

751
00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,360
Speaker 5: And theoretically a Rutger mcgory or a really quit ready

752
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 5: to be here on a full time basis. Again, theoretically,

753
00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:15,640
Speaker 5: we've seen some mixed returns on those guys this season. Yeah,

754
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,640
Speaker 5: but theoretically, you know, just based on the trajectory Kyle

755
00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,320
Speaker 5: Dubis has plotted out for this organization, you have some

756
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:22,840
Speaker 5: guys that are ready to step up.

757
00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:23,720
Speaker 4: Over that time.

758
00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,120
Speaker 5: So yeah, I mean, you'd like to see Anthony Manthon

759
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,040
Speaker 5: be here with the Pittsburgh Penguins to score twenty five

760
00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 5: goals next year, But is he gonna be doing that

761
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,800
Speaker 5: again in three or four years presumably if he signs

762
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,560
Speaker 5: a contract in that length. So you know, when you

763
00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 5: talk about a antemantheon contract, you're not just talking about

764
00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:39,360
Speaker 5: next year.

765
00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:39,960
Speaker 4: You're talking about the.

766
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,080
Speaker 5: Next three, four, maybe five years then where the organization

767
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:44,600
Speaker 5: is as a whole at that point.

768
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,040
Speaker 1: Seth, Things are getting pretty nerve wracking, aren't they. When

769
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:51,520
Speaker 1: it comes to the Eastern Conference standings. Penguins two points

770
00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,080
Speaker 1: clear of the Columbus Blue Jackets right now, and you

771
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,200
Speaker 1: know they were red hot when they made their coaching change.

772
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:57,760
Speaker 1: I was wondering are they got to cool off a bit?

773
00:33:57,800 --> 00:33:59,600
Speaker 2: They have not. I know, they lost yesterday, but they

774
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,080
Speaker 2: were able to manage the loser point.

775
00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,800
Speaker 1: It's really going to come down to that last game

776
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,800
Speaker 1: of the year potentially, and boy, just a little bit

777
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,400
Speaker 1: better in shootouts like three and eight in shootouts, and

778
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,359
Speaker 1: you could be breathing a lot more comfortably, couldn't you.

779
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:12,600
Speaker 3: Yeah.

780
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,000
Speaker 5: I mean that's how the staindings in the schedule, I

781
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,920
Speaker 5: guess are designed in the salary cap era, and particularly

782
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,439
Speaker 5: this season with the condensed schedule based because of the Olympic.

783
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:23,040
Speaker 4: Break and things like that.

784
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:28,279
Speaker 5: So even that ultimately unsuccessful run they had trying to

785
00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:30,359
Speaker 5: get to the playoffs a few years ago without some doubt,

786
00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,239
Speaker 5: they really kind of, you know, you know, leading the

787
00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:34,040
Speaker 5: charge Aaronet.

788
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,239
Speaker 4: You know, this changes on a day to day basis.

789
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,719
Speaker 5: From here on until April sixteenth or seventeenth, or whenever

790
00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:40,839
Speaker 5: the last day of the season ends.

791
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,759
Speaker 4: So they'll h this will probably be the way it.

792
00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,879
Speaker 5: Is until, you know, until someone gets that X next

793
00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:49,600
Speaker 5: to their name. Now as far as we're seating is

794
00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,120
Speaker 5: and everything like that, that probably will last until you know,

795
00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:53,400
Speaker 5: last day of the regular season.

796
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,879
Speaker 4: But none to your point. As far as the shootouts, yeah,

797
00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:57,439
Speaker 4: I mean that's uh.

798
00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,960
Speaker 5: That's been probably their biggest downfall of the season most consistently,

799
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,600
Speaker 5: aside from maybe trying to find a successful goaltending interference

800
00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:06,640
Speaker 5: coaches challenge.

801
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:09,840
Speaker 2: No one knows how to do that though. That's not

802
00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:10,680
Speaker 2: a damn use thing.

803
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,400
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a that's more of a league wide issue

804
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,400
Speaker 5: than anything else. But the Penguins have been spectacular prolific,

805
00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,120
Speaker 5: I guess in that area. But as far as the

806
00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:21,960
Speaker 5: shootouts go, it's two pronged. You know, the goalies often

807
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 5: not can't make enough says, and the shooters often and

808
00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:26,760
Speaker 5: not can't score almost any goals.

809
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:27,600
Speaker 3: Right.

810
00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:30,239
Speaker 5: Even eager Gina cooffee seemed like a ray of hope

811
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,320
Speaker 5: there in that area has been black the last few times.

812
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,880
Speaker 1: So and you know, he undressed Freddy Anderson seth it

813
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,200
Speaker 1: just he just choked, to be quite honest with you,

814
00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:40,600
Speaker 1: in the shootout against Carolina.

815
00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, and it's not for lack of practice. I mean

816
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,480
Speaker 5: they've it's not quite Dan Bosma levels in the early

817
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:48,480
Speaker 5: twenty tens.

818
00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:49,520
Speaker 2: No mustache man.

819
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,200
Speaker 5: Yeah, maybe they need a more you know, tangible prize

820
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:55,160
Speaker 5: at the end of the shootout.

821
00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:56,360
Speaker 4: Drills that they have nowadays.

822
00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,120
Speaker 5: But I mean they closed a lot of practices was

823
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,480
Speaker 5: shoot up competitions or drills and things like that. Now,

824
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:04,719
Speaker 5: you know, maybe because they don't have as many practices now,

825
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,040
Speaker 5: given how the schedule is at this point, maybe that hurts.

826
00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,280
Speaker 4: But they work at it. They just stink at.

827
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,040
Speaker 5: It, and I don't know how you, uh, how you

828
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,439
Speaker 5: really remedy it beyond more work and maybe more video

829
00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,120
Speaker 5: work and all that stuff. But they certainly have the

830
00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,399
Speaker 5: talent at least in terms of the shooters. But uh,

831
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,680
Speaker 5: for whatever reason, have a lot of reasons, they just

832
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:25,120
Speaker 5: are terrible at shootouts this year.

833
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,840
Speaker 2: Seth, thanks has always for giving me some time. We

834
00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:28,719
Speaker 2: will talk to you soon.

835
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:30,920
Speaker 4: Sounds good, Tom be well, Bud.

836
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,359
Speaker 1: Seth Roarba from the trip Reiss fine work there does

837
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,759
Speaker 1: a great job covering the Pittsburgh Penguins that shootout thing

838
00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:38,880
Speaker 1: if they missed the playoffs.

839
00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:39,840
Speaker 2: More than Sid.

840
00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:42,160
Speaker 1: Being out, more than Geno being out for a couple

841
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,960
Speaker 1: of stretches this year, one for injury, run for a suspension.

842
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:47,880
Speaker 1: I mean, they had an eight game losing streak at

843
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,279
Speaker 1: one point this year, and more so than any of

844
00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,000
Speaker 1: those things, their woes in the shootout is going to keep.

845
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:54,520
Speaker 2: Them out of the playoffs if indeed they're on the

846
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,799
Speaker 2: outside looking in A through three, four T thirty nine.

847
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:00,000
Speaker 1: If you want to jump aboard, get some calls in

848
00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,440
Speaker 1: and now we'll talk some hockey a little bit later on,

849
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,160
Speaker 1: and we'll catch up with Chris Adamski some in the

850
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,440
Speaker 1: five o'clock hour. It's Tom Oferman in for Mark one

851
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:13,280
Speaker 1: O five ninety x, Tom Offman in for Mark Madden.

852
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,160
Speaker 1: A lot of great stuff tonight for Friday night viewing

853
00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:21,400
Speaker 1: pleasure conference tournaments, Big ten SEC in the quarterfinals, Wisconsin

854
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,839
Speaker 1: and Illinois right now in overtime. Wisconsin looks like they're

855
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,400
Speaker 1: gonna win that. You got the Players Championship you could watch.

856
00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:31,000
Speaker 1: That's wrapping up. It's second round right now. Still got

857
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,719
Speaker 1: a couple hours worth of sunshine though there and Team

858
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,520
Speaker 1: USA versus Canada on the baseball field and quarterfinal action

859
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,680
Speaker 1: of the World Baseball Classics. So there's tons to do.

860
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,680
Speaker 1: March is really one of the better months when it

861
00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:48,279
Speaker 1: comes to sports. You got the the golf really hitting

862
00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:53,960
Speaker 1: its stride. Of course, conference tournaments, March madness, baseball's getting underway.

863
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,200
Speaker 1: It's good times right now to be a sports fan.

864
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:59,520
Speaker 1: Hockey really hitting its stride. No one really cares about

865
00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:02,839
Speaker 1: the NBA now the NBA on I'm an NBA guy,

866
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,600
Speaker 1: have been I'm not watching it all this year. That

867
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,680
Speaker 1: is like a dead league or a dead league walking.

868
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,719
Speaker 1: It really is. They are just so blah right now.

869
00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,200
Speaker 1: There is seemingly no interest in that sport. Maybe when

870
00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:18,920
Speaker 1: the playoffs roll around you'll get into it more. But

871
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:20,680
Speaker 1: it's a great time to be a sports fan. A

872
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:24,239
Speaker 1: lot of good stuff on television tonight. Penguin's taken on

873
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,960
Speaker 1: Utah on Saturday. They really got to get that win.

874
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:30,800
Speaker 1: Perhaps one of the most important things you should be

875
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,919
Speaker 1: locked into tonight too, Pittsburgh is the Islanders hosting the

876
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,880
Speaker 1: LA Kings Go, Kings Go, right, God, I hate the

877
00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,520
Speaker 1: Islanders so much. Tied now with the Penguins, and the

878
00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,320
Speaker 1: standings games are even, so the Penguins will gain a

879
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,600
Speaker 1: game in hand on the Islanders tonight, so hopefully the

880
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,640
Speaker 1: Kings can deal them a regulation loss. But I guarantee

881
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 1: you the Kings will be winning late. The Islanders will

882
00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,480
Speaker 1: score two goals to force overtime, and then they'll get

883
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,479
Speaker 1: the extra point in overtime as well. Because I hate

884
00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,040
Speaker 1: them they're the devil walking the Earth. Eight through three

885
00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 1: FY nine is the number to call talk a little

886
00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:01,280
Speaker 1: bit more penguins.

887
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:04,200
Speaker 2: Next, it's Tom Informark one O five nine The X