Starkey & Mueller

Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason talked about Termarr Johnson being sent back to minor league camp and thinks he still is in good standing in the organization. Jason said Johnson is only 21 and will likely start in Triple A, so he’s not behind schedule. Jason believes the plan is for Nick Gonzales to play SS to begin the season, assuming Konnor Griffin isn’t here yet. What kind of options do the Pirates have to improve their defense? Jason disagrees with some of the others that cover the team and he feels like Griffin will begin the season at Triple A. Jason doesn’t have a ton of concerns with the Pirates outfield, including Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. Do the Pirates have any worry about Paul Skenes throwing a lot of pitches in the World Baseball Classic?