PITTSBURGH (93.7 The FAN) - Former MLB General Manager and 93.7 The Fan Baseball Analyst Jack Zduriencik joined the show Friday to preview the 2020 Pirates season ahead of their season opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The guys kicked off the conversation on the PM Team discussing the possbility of first baseman Josh Bell perminantly being the designated hitter, and playing Jose Osuna at first.. Jack says it would be disrespectful to take him away from first base after all the work he has put in, but understands the differences in their defensive ability.
"It's kind oif a respect issue at this point in time to give him the chance to play first base. Ithink everyone that's seen both he and Osuna, they know that Osuna is better defensively." he said. "I just think it would be kind of a little bit of a slap in the face at this point."
Jack also shared his thought on the next step in the development of pitcher Mitch Keller. He says it's all about consistency.
"Consistency I think is the big thing for him. I like his stuff, I think he's a good athlete. He's got the nice fastball, a nice slider," Jack said. "You have to establish yourself as a consistent guy, who's just going to go out there and execute your pitches from pitch to pitch."
Click the audio below to listen to the full interview with Jack, as the guys dig deeper into the Pirates opener against the Cardinals and the 2020 season overall.