WEBVTT - Who needs to step up for the Pirates in the 2nd half? 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:10.719 What's up, everybody. 0:00:10.720 --> 0:00:13.960 Welcome back to another episode of Bucco Territory, presented to 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:15.440 you by the Foul Territory Network. 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:16.200 I'm Noah Hiles. 0:00:16.280 --> 0:00:19.200 Joining me as always are my co hosts Josh Harrison 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:23.079 and Platinum Key aka Mark. It's Friday, July seventeenth. The 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.680 Pirates second half of the regular season is about to 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:27.360 get underway. 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:29.520 They have a three game weekend series. 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:33.320 In Cleveland against the Guardians, a lot of interesting things 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:35.920 to get into this show will be our second half 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.479 of the season preview where we're gonna break down some storylines, 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.680 some guys that we need to see more from in 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:44.400 the second half, and we'll obviously round out our Friday 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:47.360 show the same way we always do with our weekly segment. 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:47.640 Jay Hay. 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:50.240 Now, So, guys, we're gonna start off like I said 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:51.760 in this first segment. 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:52.760 Who steps Up? 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:56.160 There are a lot of moving pieces to a baseball team, 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:58.880 especially a baseball team that's looking to sneak its way 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:01.640 into the postseason, and that's what the Pirates are right now. 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:03.880 They're a team knocking on the door. They're a team 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:07.000 three games above five hundred at the time of this recording, 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:08.360 and a team a couple of games out of the 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:09.160 Wildcard race. 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:10.720 So with all that. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:13.120 Being said, we've seen a whole bunch of guys step 0:01:13.200 --> 0:01:13.800 up so far. 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.560 When I ask you who's a player that you need to. 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:20.039 See more from in the second half in order for 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:22.480 this team to reach the next level, who's the first 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:24.280 guy that comes to mind, We'll start with Mark. 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:27.760 Yeah, first guy that comes to mind is Henry Davis. 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.920 We saw him really starting to step up in like 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:34.039 his last like fifteen games or so, right before the 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:37.000 All Star break, especially with Andy Rodriguez heading into the 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:42.560 injured list. Henry took that opportunity and showed something with 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:45.880 his bat. Finally looked like the bat that the Pirates 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.840 had drafted. Obviously, it's been a short sample, but if 0:01:50.080 --> 0:01:52.440 Henry can continue to do that in the second half, 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:55.560 that will just help this team so so much. Because 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:59.880 this offense has been productive without his bet providing much 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:04.440 of anything. So anything that you're getting above, like a 0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:07.080 six hundred ops from Henry Davis is going to be 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:10.320 icing on the cake and just help this team get 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:11.160 a couple more wins. 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:11.639 Possibly. 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:14.320 We know what he can do defensively, we know what 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.440 he can do calling games, So no issues there. But 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:19.880 if he can keep hitting the ball, that would be 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:24.600 such such a help, especially if it helps the Pirates 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:27.920 not have to address Catcher at the trade deadline. And 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:30.880 it sounds like should be back pretty soon after the 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:34.160 All Star break, so it doesn't sound like that's going 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:38.040 to be a lingering issue. But yeah, it's if Henry 0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:40.080 steps up, this team has a whole other gear to 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:40.360 get to. 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:44.320 I love that pick from you, Mark for a couple 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:44.840 of reasons. 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:46.960 One, like you said, Andy's going to be back, but 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.800 I mean, you got to remember, this is the most 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:53.919 baseball Dy has played quite some time, and it's probably 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.000 going to end up being the most major League baseball 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:57.880 he's played in his life when we're all said and 0:02:57.919 --> 0:02:59.080 done in twenty twenty six. 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:01.400 So I think it's you. 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:03.280 Know, I'm not rooting for the guy to slow down 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:05.880 or anything, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.919 Andy to hit a lull at some point this season 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.120 just because he's he hasn't put his body through this. 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:13.919 Long of a grind for a very long time. 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:18.560 And if you can get what you've got from Henry 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:21.440 Davis over these last fifteen games he's played, where he's 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.120 hit three home runs, he's driven in ten, he's walked 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:27.320 four times and only struck out six. He's slashed two 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:31.200 seventy three, three sixty eight, five sixty seven. If you 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.840 get that from Henry Davis who for the rest of 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:36.240 the year, or even a lesser version of that, like 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.200 if you can just get him to slash two fifty, 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.200 an on base percentage of three fifty and a slug 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:46.120 of like four hundred to five hundred, especially that that 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:50.680 is a very very good catching platoon between him and 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:51.720 Andy Rodriguez. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.280 That is an insane influx. 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:57.280 Of value compared to what you got from him for 0:03:57.360 --> 0:03:59.600 the bulk of his first half. So if Henry Davis 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:02.080 can do that at the plate, you really don't have 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:05.040 a bad option at catcher, which I can't remember the 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:08.840 last time I said that. Yeah, so that's that's a 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:10.920 huge pick for you. I like that one, Josh, what 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:13.000 do you think? Yeah? 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:16.360 I definitely agree. There's no secret that we've spoke on 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:20.120 it before. But it just shows how valuable he can 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.400 be to a team that is already doing good offensively 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:25.919 when he does show up better than what he was giving, 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:29.440 and that just makes your team that much stronger. Because 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.240 you know, all offenses talk about being tough one through nine, 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.920 and realistically we'll say that they weren't tough one through nine. 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:37.919 But with the way he's sworn at the. 0:04:37.960 --> 0:04:41.320 Last fifteen games or so, it definitely takes it back 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:43.760 to say, okay him platoon as you mentioned with Indy 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:46.280 when he gets back healthy, it is definitely something that 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:49.160 makes your often stronger and also makes your defense stronger 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:51.279 because you're scoring more runs. 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:54.400 Josh, help, go ahead. 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:59.800 Yeah, well I'll answer both of these questions. Yeah, my 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:03.919 my guy would be Mitch Keller. I know this off season, 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:06.320 a lot of you know, trade talks ROMed around him 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:09.320 preseason then going through the season, and obviously we know 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.839 we highlighted him I think a couple episodes ago and 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.159 talked about maybe this All Star break being kind of 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:17.919 that like reset button for him and uh, you know, 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:21.160 kind of flipping the script as opposed to what's happened, 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:23.080 you know, previous in his career where he kind of 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:23.600 hits you. 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:25.240 Know, a little low and kind of falls off. 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:28.279 I'm looking at it as you know, a little reset 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:30.560 after All Star Break and then knowing that you got 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:34.240 this offense. It's no secret that if Mitch pitches, you know, 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:37.040 to what he's capable of, where he's eating innings, going 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:40.080 six innings and handing the ball over to the bullpen. 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:42.719 And given quality starts, this team is gonna be that 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.560 much better because you already know Paul, you know Ashcraft, 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.200 as you mentioned, Bubb's getting better, Jared his I think. 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:52.680 His previous alt went six. You know, when you're firing, 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:57.640 when you're firing on all cylinders. I think pitching is something. 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:00.320 That you really don't want to waiver, you know, on 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:02.440 this teeter totter, because if you once you get to 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:07.359 the place play playoffs, postseason, sometimes offenses going to a 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:09.400 little law. But if you got pitching staff that is 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:12.359 keeping you in games, it allows, you know, offense that 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:15.640 may be struggling to get that you know timely ending 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:17.479 where they put pressure on the other team and get 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:19.560 that time to you know double one, a gap or something. 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:21.720 So I think Mitch is gonna be big for the 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:24.400 starting staff because you know what Paul and those other 0:06:24.440 --> 0:06:27.000 guys are bringing. So for me, I'd really like to 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:28.920 see Mitch step up and hopefully this All Star break 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:30.000 was a nice reset for him. 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:31.080 What do you guys think? 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.960 Yeah, uh, Mitch Keller's been through a lot of bad baseball. 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:40.800 He's suffered through a lot of bad baseball teams. The 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:43.480 players finally have a chance to be good. He's the 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.520 veteran on this in this starting rotation. He needs to 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.640 step up. He needs to be the guy that puts 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:51.359 his foot down and says, you know what, this is 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:53.240 the year that we're actually going to be a good 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:56.119 baseball team and make the postseason. He has that chance 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.440 to do it. So, yeah, in the second half, we 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:01.320 need to see Mitch Keller improve, be better and be 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:04.520 the veteran ace and not ace, but the veteran starter 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:07.080 in this rotation that can go out and be that 0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:10.320 Chad Inians here, like you said, Josh, So he's got 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:13.800 quite the opportunity right in front of him. So I'd 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:17.040 love to see Mitch Keller show off that veteran leadership 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:17.760 and sees on it. 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:21.880 Yeah, and just to kind of follow up on everything 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:25.520 Mark said, it's you just need to get something from Mitch, 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:28.400 and if it can't work in the starting rotation, then 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:30.960 maybe he goes to the bullpen and gives you an 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:34.240 answer there. Because he can't throw a wide pitch mix 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:36.760 right now. Maybe if you simplify it and say, look, 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:39.240 we just need you to cover the seventh today, We 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:40.760 only need you to throw two pitches. 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:42.800 They need that too. 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.560 I mean, they could use Mitch Keller the starter a 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:48.880 lot more than Mitch Keller the seventh inning reliever. And 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:51.000 I'm sure Mitch doesn't want to be that guy. But 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.840 you got to find a way to contribute somehow, and 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:57.720 sometimes you know, if it ain't your year, it ain't 0:07:57.760 --> 0:07:58.160 your year. 0:07:58.360 --> 0:07:59.320 I don't think. 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.400 Mitch Keller has done enough this year, even as bad 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:04.000 as he's been, to completely give up on a moving forward. 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:08.840 But we've seen other great pitchers, guys with resumes far 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.400 better than Mitches, take a back seat or a lesser 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.320 role while their team is on a heater and they 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.600 still find a way to contribute. I mean Tim Linscom 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:19.480 did it, Barry Zito did it on those great Giants 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.560 teams who had other pitchers, and it's just like, yeah, 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.440 it's not my year right now, And both of those 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:27.680 guys ended up rebounding and having a great season later. 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:29.200 On after accepting those lesser roles. 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.280 And I'm not suggesting that's what Mitch needs to do, 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:33.840 but if he does, like I don't see anything wrong 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:36.120 with that. I'm gonna go ahead and name mine. Now 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:38.960 it's another guy in the starting rotation. It's Jared Jones. 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:45.920 I picked Jared over Mitch just because Jared at his 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:50.400 best has the second highest ceiling that we've seen in 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:53.800 the Major leagues on this rotation. What Jared Jones did 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.520 in April and May of twenty twenty four, that's the 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:00.560 best two months pitching stretch that any pitcher in this 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:03.920 rotation has had not named Paul Steins, yep. Mitch Keller 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:06.800 at his best never looked as good as Jared Jones 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:09.440 did his first two months in the major leagues. Brax 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:13.560 and Ashcraft has looked really damn good. He never looked 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.319 Jared Jones level dominant. Now, the whole thing with Jared 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:19.120 is obviously sustainability. 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:21.719 Can he stay healthy? Can he continue to stack that up? 0:09:21.840 --> 0:09:24.520 And there's always been something that he's had to deal with, 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:27.160 be it an injury or a pitch count, or an 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:31.320 thing's limit or a workload restriction something, and he's gonna 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.280 have to continue dealing with that. But if Jared Jones 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:38.800 can return to first half twenty twenty four, Jared Jones, 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:42.959 I mean Mitch Keller still matters obviously, but my god, 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.440 that's the best one two three punch in baseball. YEP, 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:49.559 with Paul continuing to trend upward, and Paul is the 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:51.720 most important player on this team in the second half, 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.199 but we all know that he needs to step up 0:09:54.760 --> 0:09:55.880 and Brax and Ashcraft. 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:57.360 You have two all stars already. 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:01.240 If Jared Jones, who has the upside of an All Star, 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:04.200 if you can get that from your third guy, even 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:06.880 with an innings restriction, if he can give you six 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:09.320 strong every night, if he can give you a quality 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:12.680 start three to four times a month and his five outings, 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:15.520 this is going to be a very difficult baseball team 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:17.440 to beat in a three game series. 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:19.679 And it starts on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:20.240 So I love it. 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:22.960 Anything to add on, guys. 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.240 No, I think you've got that covered perfectly. 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:28.640 Yeah, all right, So we're gonna take a quick break 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:30.959 when we come back. 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Make sure you click the link in 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:34.240 the description to download the app and have the code 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.559 automatically added to your account so you can use it later. 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:42.240 All right, second half questions. Things that we need to 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:46.400 see improved. We mentioned individuals. Now, let's talk about storylines, 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:50.200 something that we would like to see either resolved, improved, 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:53.520 or really just anything that pertains to this team and 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:57.520 getting better and reaching the postseason by the time October arrives. 0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:01.679 I'll start us off here. I for my storyline, I'm 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:04.320 gonna go with Marcelo Zuna. How much longer is this 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:07.120 guy gonna be here? In a couple of weeks, Spencer 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:09.719 Horowitz will be back, O'Neil Cruz will be back as 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:12.920 Merlin Valdez has been everything that you hoped Marcello Zuna 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:16.400 would be. His production has exceeded Marcelo Zuna in about 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:20.920 a third of the opportunity. Tyler Tyler Callahan has been 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.679 a solid bench player. Jake Mangam has been one of 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:26.360 the most valuable fourth outfielders in Major League Baseball, a 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:28.400 guy who probably still deserves to be in the starting 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.360 lineup every day. Jared Triolo is a Gold Glove utility defender. 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:34.720 That's your bench right now. Oh and by the way, 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:36.640 Henry Davis is slashing what we just said you was 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:39.840 slashing over the last fifteen games. He's your backup catcher. 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.840 You have a lot of position player depth. I'm very 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:45.679 curious to see if they do the right thing and 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.720 just say, hey, these guys are helping us win, and 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:52.200 they're helping us win more and just admit that Ozuna 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:53.120 wasn't the right move. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:54.480 Guys, do you think that that happens. 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:58.880 I think it's gotta be close. It's you never really 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:00.680 want to say, like, oh, time to give up on 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:03.200 the guy, But at this point, we have just so 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:07.520 many better options on the bench. And yeah, they made 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:11.440 a significant investment into this guy, but it just hurts 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:15.440 this team more than anything. So maybe you have him 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.199 like DH against left handed pitching for a little bit, 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:21.360 but you just can't keep a bench slot with the 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:25.800 options that are available otherwise. So I think it's as 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:29.280 soon as either Horwitz or O'Neal gets back, you gotta 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:29.640 move on. 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:33.480 Yeah. 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.520 I don't want to say he's lasted longer than you 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:37.600 know we've anticipated. 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.520 We obviously know injuries have probably helped his case. 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:44.000 I would say stick around, just from a standpoint, you 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:47.400 didn't really have many options to go down into. But 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.560 that is a storyline that I think will catch some 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:53.160 steam as guys start to get healthy, because as you mentioned, 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:55.920 you're at that point of season where you have to 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:59.000 justify it and if you're serious about winning and riding 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:02.480 this momentum, you might have to cut ties with. 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:05.120 You know what is dragging you down. 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:08.000 And not to say he's dragging him down, but he 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:10.320 hasn't really helped much. And you know, I'm not a 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:13.160 guy that likes to talk about guys not producing, because 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:14.839 I know how hard this game is. But at the 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.240 same time, I've also been a guy who's been designated 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:20.040 myself when my last year with the Phillies, I didn't 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:21.160 really get the I think I might have had one 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:24.840 hundred at bats going into August, so even then hard 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:25.320 to get ab. 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:27.760 So when you don't have abs, just as you. 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:31.520 Mentioned before the break, there were moments where he wasn't 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:34.479 even in the lineup, so you got to make decisions 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:37.400 that sometimes aren't easy. But at the same time, if 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:40.880 you're trying to make a team better, it's necessary. 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:45.880 When it's hard to find a player who you deserve 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:48.720 more playing time, then then you. 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.680 Don't deserve to be on the roster. And that's it. 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:55.600 Like Mark mentioned, maybe batting him as a DH against lefties. 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:57.840 Why in the world would that not be as Merlin 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:03.120 vald does right, and O'Neill's healthy and you're already crowded 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.120 for outfield spots, Like, how in the world do you 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:09.560 justify playing him ahead of as Merlin val does. There's 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:12.080 just nothing you could do to justify that. So that's 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:13.680 my storyline, Josh, what about you. 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:16.760 Mine kind of ties into yours. 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:19.440 It was the lineup construction because obviously we know guys 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:23.400 are being healthy, and it was honestly saying that you 0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:26.480 know that DH spot is you know, deserving of you 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:29.120 know s Merlin against lefties, and then you know, when 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:31.440 the righty's there, you can kind of rotate, rotate that 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:35.560 with whether so hearn or you know, b Ray. You know, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.200 because as you mentioned, Mangum's played well enough to where 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:40.480 you want to keep them in a lineup, and you know, 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:43.600 if that's gonna put O'Hearn or or Reynolds at d H, 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.600 you know, that slides Mangum into the outfield, which makes 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:49.800 your defense better. And at the same time we've talked 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:53.000 about it, these guys have seized, you know, the opportunity 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.320 that's been in front of them. Same thing with Nick Gonzalez. 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:58.640 You know, he's a guy that has been, you know, 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:00.400 kind of the main state this year. That's been a 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:03.240 pleasant surprise for the Pirates when coming into spring training 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:05.480 was figuring out, you know, how is this guy going 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:07.080 to get at bats? We knew he was gonna get 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:10.880 at bats, but just win where So my thing is, 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.320 you're starting to catch that momentum when these guys get 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:18.080 back healthy. Horowitz, you know, O'Neill, you're gonna have to 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:20.360 make a decision, and we've kind of already hit on 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.920 that with you know, the Marcelle storyline. I think that 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:26.480 gets answered here pretty soon, because one way or another, 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:29.600 you can't you can't stay in the middle. You got 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:31.520 to make a decision, especially if you're trying to win, 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:35.240 and all indications points towards the guys in that clubhouse 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:37.280 trying to win, and I'm sure everybody up top is 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:37.760 as well. 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:41.880 Yeah, just as far as the lineup, I have just 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:44.000 a couple of things that I'm curious to see. One, 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:49.240 how you get Valdez consistent at bats right because he 0:16:49.280 --> 0:16:52.840 plays right field, he can play first base, although I 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.120 don't think they want to play and there's no reason 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.480 to play him at first base because they've got three 0:16:57.520 --> 0:17:00.960 guys now with Jacob Gonzalez here as well, who can 0:17:00.960 --> 0:17:03.760 play in treolo, Like he's like your fifth option at 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:08.600 first base as far as overall that, Yeah, so there's yeah, 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:13.600 that's it. He is. Yeah, But then it's like, where 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:14.320 do you play o'hearen. 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:15.320 Do you play o'hearan? 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:18.439 Right, Okay, then you're playing Spencer at first And that 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.119 goes into my second thing. How much time do we 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:22.720 see O'Neil Cruz playing center field? 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:23.040 Yeah? 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.200 That's another thing where it's if you're getting valdezit bats, 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:30.320 where are you playing O'Neill because are you sacrificing. 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.040 Jake Ngum's defense? Are you taking that out of the equation. 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.640 Jake Mangum's also like hitting over three hundred, so he's 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:38.280 playing a lot as well. Just the outfield construction as 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:41.840 a whole, you've got five guys, assuming Spencer's the everyday 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:47.560 first baseman, Between O'Hearn, Valdez, Reynolds, Mangum and Cruz, you've 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:51.640 got five guys who should be playing every day and 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:54.080 one of them can play dh but one of them 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:56.000 is going to have to sit, and in a way, 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.960 you keep everyone fresh but in another way, you're kind 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:03.080 of putting someone who. I mean, Cruz and Spencer are 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:05.040 obviously coming back, but the rest of those guys I 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:10.639 just named Lao or oh ohhearn excuse me, Mangum. 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:14.000 Valdez, Reynolds, all those guys. Those are probably your hottest. 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.880 Four hitters outside of Nick Gonzalez, so that'll be interesting. 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:19.919 And the third guy, the third O, there's four excuse me, 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:22.760 Jacob Gonzalez. How much run does he get it short? 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.600 Does he become your primary shortstop in the second half 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:28.600 or is it Triolo? Because the fourth thing I had, 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:30.840 as far as lineup construction, something I'd like to see. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:33.480 I would like to see Jared Triolo be the primary 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:36.119 starting third baseman when Paul Skins witches from. 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:36.639 Here on album. 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:39.879 I like just because of his issues with holding runners 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.960 on base, the left on base percentage being so much 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:44.800 higher this or so much. 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:46.720 Lower, I should say this year compared to last year. 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.639 I want the best defense possible for Paul Skins when 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:51.680 he's on the mound so he can continue to dance 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:53.760 out of jams like he's always been able to. And 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:57.760