Pregame was different for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Don Kelly on Wednesday, as they held a question-and-answer session for fans inside the press conference room at PNC Park.
Those in attendance asked Cherington and Kelly to assess the team through half a season. They also wanted to know about Trade Deadline plans, the future for Paul Skenes and Brandon Lowe, why Cherington believes in Kelly and what the Pirates are doing to improve with ABS.
Questions were both submitted and live. Greg Brown served as the event’s emcee. Below you’ll find a transcript of some of the most interesting exchanges. Comments have been edited slightly for brevity.
How Cherington and Kelly assessed the team through 79 games:
Cherington: The opportunity is ahead of us. We also haven't done enough to capitalize. There are things we need to do to improve. That relates to all of us. Every single one of us has to do our job really well. That starts with me. That’s players. That’s everybody. I believe if we do that here in the days and weeks ahead, we’ll take advantage of the opportunity we have. A lot of good things have happened. There’s a lot to clean up, too.
Kelly: I don’t think we’ve played our best baseball yet. We’ve seen snippets of it. It hasn’t been consistent. … We’ve had adversity, whether that’s injuries or tough losses. I think the team has shown some really good things with bouncing back. And I believe there’s another level of better baseball and consistently better baseball that we’ll play as the summer goes on.
Brown (submitted): How realistic could it be to acquire Aroldis Chapman? I think the bullpen could improve with a big name, seasoned veteran to guide them.
Cherington: We’re at the point in the season where every team kind of knows enough about where they are that those conversations are happening. There are 29 other teams. We’re talking to every one of them. There are 10 or 12 teams we’re talking to pretty frequently right now. We want to find ways to improve the roster. I would like to have made a trade a half-hour ago or a half-hour from now to improve the roster. It’s not quite like hitting a button and just doing what you want to do. … The draft is coming up. Typically every team is working on this stuff, then four or five days before the draft, everyone shuts down and focuses on the draft. We get past the draft, and it picks up again. We still have some days left before that. We’re very focused on improving the team in a way that we think makes sense. I’m confident if we stay at it, we will.
Brown (submitted): Someone asked about Paul Skenes. They want to have him here for a long time and they're curious about attempts made to extend him, that kind of thing, regarding the contract.
Cherington: He's obviously special to all of us. We’re privileged that he wears a Pirates uniform. He sets the standard in so many ways. What's most important to Paul Skenes is the opportunity to win baseball games and his confidence that we are going to win baseball games. So, to the extent that we want to influence him being a Pirate going forward — yes, there are other things that will come into it, obviously — that might be the single most important thing, to continue to focus on what we can do to put ourselves in the best position to win games and give him confidence that's going to happen going forward. Because I really think he's prioritizing that more than anything.
Brown: Here’s one Donnie, about consequences if players aren't running out a fly ball or if they don’t run on or off the field between innings. What are they and what’s the reasoning?
Kelly: There's a standard with how we feel that we need to compete. Talking about 162 games, and guys not feeling 100%, there are going to be moments that happen that aren't up to that standard. Most of the time, those conversations are held internally, and guys are being held accountable. I will say, this year it's been really cool because players are holding themselves accountable to play the game a certain way. There have been instances in the past where we've had to make moves. Guys haven't finished games because we didn't feel that they were playing up that standard. It’s like having kids. It’ll start with conversations, and most of the time it ends there. We get our point across. But it has elevated to something where we’ve had to take guys out of games.
Live question: I want to thank you for Brandon Lowe. Where is that situation? Are there indications that he loves it here? Has there been any move to start up with the thought of signing him? How likely is it? I know he’s not Paul Skenes, but I really want to keep him.
Cherington: B-Lowe has really come in and fit in well and produced on the field. He’s fit into the clubhouse too. He's been great to be around. All indications I have are that it's been a positive experience for him, too. We haven't taken it any further than that, yet. We can spend more time on that as we get to the end of the year and post-year. Right now, all of our focus, including Brandon’s, is just on tonight's game. We'll think about that other stuff a little bit later.
Live question: ABS challenging, I know we have one of the worst success rates. Are there any talks with players like when is appropriate? First inning, two outs, maybe that’s not the same, save them for later in the game?
Kelly: We’re actively talking about that, worried about it and continuing to coach it. Just did something on the field today with catchers catching, hitters in the box and practicing what that looks like. I’d [think] the younger guys are going to be better at it because they've had ABS in the Minor Leagues. I thought [Tuesday] night might have been our best night from a challenging perspective, which I hope is a sign of what's to come with these guys really understanding what is happening. They’re starting to understand what pitches might catch the top of the zone. We have to get better at it.”
Brown (submitted): What do us fans not always see about the work that goes into managing a team and making daily decisions?
Kelly: The day-to-day, prior to managing, you think you know. I don’t think you really understand until you’re fully in it. We’re relying on a lot of input from staff and people around me and the organization to be able to help guide and direct some of those decisions that we have to make that are difficult. Ultimately they’re my decisions to make but relying on other people to help inform those decisions based on the training staff, the guys in the cage who are working with these guys every day and the defensive component to try and make sure that we put them in the best position to stay healthy and be successful for us out on the field to help us win.
Brown (submitted): What makes Kelly the right guy for this job?
Cherington: Donnie has boundless energy for [collaborative conversations]. He does a lot of things well, but that is something that’s a constant every day. He builds trust through that. Has really strong credibility with everybody in that clubhouse. Even when [decisions] are not popular, he’s worked so hard to build that trust. He can push on things and challenge things because of the work he’s done prior.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.