ST. LOUIS -- On Thursday, the Pirates made the largest financial commitment of their franchise’s history, coming to terms on an eight year, $70 million deal with Ke’Bryan Hayes.
The Pirates wanted to ensure the player and the person weren’t going anywhere else, but there’s a layer of implied commitment that the organization wants from him as well: He has to be a leader.
That doesn’t mean he has to be a rah-rah guy or the person pumping everyone up, but be the guy the younger players look up to and model their workouts, routine and performance after.
Hayes recognized that before the deal, with the introverted 25-year-old infielder telling me in Bradenton, Fla. he made sure to talk to and get to know everyone new in that spring clubhouse, whether they were a vet or a prospect who hasn’t played above Class A.
“It’s funny, I was in that position two years ago, and our team’s so young that guys like me have to coach them and help get the best out of them,” Hayes said.
“The younger guys watch your routine, how you eat,” he followed up. “I paid attention to [Starling Marte], Cutch [Andrew McCutchen], Josh Harrison. What was the first thing they did when they got to the field? Making sure you do that little stuff [right] is what I think is important to be a leader on the team.”
MORE PIRATES
2. It’s worth pointing out that over at least the past year, Hayes had been recruited by Scott Boras personally. While there are a few cases of Boras clients signing long-term deals early in their careers, there certainly aren’t many. It would have been hard to imagine such a deal getting done if he made the switch, but Hayes wanted to be with the Pirates for the long haul. -- Stumpf
3. The Pirates, perhaps inadvertently, used a piggyback opening day when JT Brubaker’s pitch count got up and he was removed after three innings and Wil Crowe pitched a couple innings of relief. Talking with pitching coach Oscar Marin, there should be some experimentation these first couple weeks of the season as pitchers continue to build up. Interestingly, he stressed openers as a possibility, something the Pirates haven’t formally done (excluding bullpen games) since 2019. -- Stumpf
4. Marin said he “may or may not have” (playfully, so I’ll mark it down as a definite “may”) told his pitchers to post to social media often this winter, a workaround where teams and coaches could still check out how pitchers were progressing with throwing programs, even if they couldn’t be in contact. Those Keller videos that went viral should have been posted anyway, but that explains the uptick in guys posting random bullpen sessions this winter. -- Stumpf
5. One more from Marin: He just might be the happiest man in baseball since the Pirates hired former Rays pitching guru Dewey Robinson this offseason. ("I mean, come on! Dewey Robinson!") Between Robinson and pitching coordinator Josh Hopper, there's definitely some good people helping to develop these pitchers. -- Stumpf
6. Blake Cederlind is going to start facing batters in about three to four weeks, he told me in Bradenton, positioning himself for a May rehab assignment. The backend Pirates’ bullpen is fairly wide open, and while Cederlind would like to start again, I would expect him to be brought back as a reliever. -- Stumpf
7. Bligh Madris had an uphill climb to a potential roster spot this spring, but he came mighty close, being among the last batch of Pirates’ cuts this spring. He posted some impressive power numbers down the stretch after standing more upright in the box, something that could translate to a full season. He’s an outfielder by trade, but he’s picking up first base in order to try to get more playing time and become a more appealing option for a major-league job. -- Stumpf
8. One of the cooler moments of the regular season opener was prospect Diego Castillo making his major-league debut in front of his grandfather, who flew 18 hours from Venezuela in order to see him play. -- Stumpf
STEELERS
9. A report earlier this week said the Steelers were close to a deal that would make Minkah Fitzpatrick the highest-paid safety in the NFL. But as of right now, the Steelers and Fitzpatrick's agents, Joel Segal and Chafie Fields of Lagardere Sports, haven't even had any talks about a new deal -- at least none that have discussed numbers or years. And the Steelers won't start negotiating a new deal with Fitzpatrick, who is under contract this season at $10.6 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, until after the draft is completed. That doesn't mean a deal won't get done. It just means the Steelers and Fitzpatrick are not "close," unless "close" means that both sides want to get something done.
10. So, what might a new contract for Fitzpatrick look like? And will he be the highest-paid safety in the NFL?
It largely depends on whether you're looking at the total package or yearly salaries. Kevin Byard has a deal that worth $70.5 million from the Titans. But it averages $14.1 million per year.
Jamal Adams' deal with the Seahawks pays him $17.5 million per year -- on average. This year, his cap hit is $9.11 million.
So, the Steelers could simply give the 25-year-old Fitzpatrick a 5-year extension worth $71 million. That would technically make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of total package. But it would average $14.2 million per year.
Or, they could sign him to a deal that pays him the most money this year. Or, it could be the most guaranteed money given to a safety. There are a lot of different ways to go with that. -- Lolley
11. So, how does a reporter get such bad information as to go on the record saying a deal is going to be done soon when contract talks haven't even started yet?
That's likely coming straight from the agent. Fitzpatrick's agents likely leaked the "report" hoping to get the Steelers to the bargaining table. But that's not how the team works.
The Steelers will get to Fitzpatrick's contract when they're ready to do so. And they won't be forced to the bargaining table. -- Lolley
12. Remember a couple of months ago when there was a "report" that Diontae Johnson was going to be looking for a contract extension worth $15 million per season?
After seeing some of the wide receiver deals given out recently -- including Stephon Diggs' 4-year, $104-million extension this week -- $15 million per season seems like a relative bargain. Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill also have signed new deals for way more than $20 million per season.
Johnson isn't in the same tier as those guys, but he's in the next tier down.
If the Steelers don't want to pay Johnson that kind of money, somebody else will. Believe it. -- Lolley
13. Some might have had an issue with Mike Tomlin saying last week that he'll become much more involved in the search for Kevin Colbert's replacement during the second round of interviews that will take place following the draft.
But Tomlin sitting in on those interviews doesn't mean the head coach will have some kind of control over the GM. Tomlin will still get some input into the situation because he'll be tasked with working with the new GM in much the same fashion he's worked with Colbert.
The decision who that will be, however, will be Art Rooney II's. And it will be his decision alone. -- Lolley
14. The Steelers aren't just focusing on early draft picks when it comes to looking at this quarterback class. Earlier this week, they brought in South Dakota State's Chris Oladokun, who is considered a late-round prospect or potential undrafted rookie.
While many of the mock drafters and analysts out there are automatically mocking a quarterback -- any quarterback -- to the Steelers, they won't take one in the first round just to take one. It will have to be the right player.
They're also bringing Nevada's Carson Strong in for a visit. He's considered a third-round guy. Again, they're shopping for a quarterback, but they might not pay a premium price for one. -- Lolley
15. One of the more interesting statements from Rooney last week was that he expects the lawsuit filed by Brian Flores against the NFL -- and in effect, Rooney -- to be handled completely outside the Steelers' offices. In other words, he doesn't expect it to be a distraction.
That might be difficult. Every time something happens with the suit, such as Thursday when former Steelers assistant Ray Horton and longtime NFL assistant Steve Wilks added their names to the suit, the subject is going to come up again.
If that happens during the season, it's crazy to think players and coaches won't be asked about it -- or talk about it themselves. It's too important an issue for that to not happen. -- Lolley
PENGUINS
16. The Penguins have 10 games remaining in the regular season, and while their most likely Round 1 matchup is against the Rangers, that is far from settled. Consequently, their pro scouts haven't focused strictly on New York yet. "We haven't honed in on it, because the permutations are still extensive, on who we can play," president of hockey operations Brian Burke said. "The pro guys have been working on all possible opponents, so we'll focus as the standings tighten, but right now, it's been a focus on all possible opponents." He noted that the Penguins' video staff already is preparing material on prospective opponents, and that as the playoffs approach, he, Ron Hextall and director of player personnel Chris Pryor will attend games to get information on teams they might play. -- Molinari
17. Jared McCann, traded to the Maple Leafs last summer, when the Penguins were dealing with salary-cap and expansion-draft issues, is having a career season with the Kraken, putting up career highs in goals (25) and points (40) with three-plus weeks to go in the regular season. His offensive abilities were evident at times when he was with the Penguins -- remember, he led them in power-play goals in 2020-21 -- but he was wildly inconsistent. So what changed, other than McCann's address? One Western Conference personnel official suggested that it's because he feels "less pressure" with an expansion team like Seattle than he did on a team such as the Penguins, who enter every season intent on contending for a Stanley Cup. Getting a five-year, $25 million contract, easily the most lucrative of his career, seems to have had a positive impact on his confidence, too. -- Dave Molinari in New York
18. Had an interesting text exchange with a former Penguins player a few days ago. After receiving a note wishing him well in the playoffs and suggesting that his current club looks like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the player responded that "Maybe the Penguins might be the team with the ring. They look good out there." His text was an intriguing glimpse into how the Penguins are viewed by at least some other people around the league, although it must be pointed out that the exchange occurred before Colorado completed a sweep of its home-and-home series with the Penguins. -- Molinari
19. The Penguins, like most NHL clubs, do not make their starting goaltender available to reporters following game-day skates. The thinking, apparently, is that answering questions for a few minutes could disrupt the goalie's focus on the game that will be played six or seven hours later. If so, shouldn't the starter have his own dressing area for before and after the skate, so that he's not subjected to all the locker-room banter and sometimes loud interactions between his teammates? And should he be permitted to drive to and from the skate and the game, since operating a motor vehicle safely requires a lot more concentration than responding to questions? -- Molinari
20. The Penguins' latest two college free agent signings -- forward Ty Glover and defenseman Colin Swoyer -- reported to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a week ago and have been practicing with the team since, getting acclimated and learning the systems. Coach J.D. Forrest told me that they're taking things "day-by-day" with them, making sure that they know "how we want to play, what we're expecting." Wilkes-Barre is in a tight race to hold onto their playoff spot, so they don't want to throw those two in until they're ready. -- Taylor Haase at PPG Paints Arena
21. Just because Andy Chiodo was promoted from goaltending development coach to NHL goaltending coach doesn't mean he's not involved with the Penguins' young goaltending prospects. Chiodo was instrumental in the process of signing undrafted free agent Taylor Gauthier out of Portland in the WHL this season, and was the main contact between the organization and Gauthier himself. Chiodo also still keeps tabs on 2020 second-round pick Joel Blomqvist over in Finland, who was just eliminated from the Liiga playoffs in the first round despite posting an unreal 1.10 goals-against average, .950 save percentage in seven appearances. -- Haase
