The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller

It was still a banner day to be a Pirates fan as Konnor Griffin signed his 9-year extension with the club that will keep him here until 2034. Is this current group capable of winning something big? The Pirates have Griffin for nearly a decade and have Paul Skenes under control for a few more years. Are we still finding fans that can’t help but be negative about this? How do fans feel about the future of Pirates baseball? What word or two would you use to describe your feelings on the Pirates after the Konnor Griffin extension Pittsburgh native, Bethel Park grad and Waynesburg product Mason Miller got the final out today at PNC Park.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. The tabloid story of the day was surrounding Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini from The Athletic. Mike couldn’t too much about the situation himself, but said as much as he could. 15 days away from the NFL Draft and the Steelers have no indication on what is happening with Aaron Rodgers, which feels a whole lot like last year. How much attention does Rodgers want before he makes his decision? Mike isn’t sure if he will be in town for the draft, which he hasn’t attended in about a decade because his duties that night are easier to perform from home. It’s a final at PNC Park as the Padres take the series over the Pirates in an 8-2 game. Mitch Keller looked good again – his third consecutive quality start to open the season, allowing 0 runs in 6 innings on 75 pitches. The bullpen was a disaster. Is the idea that Don Kelly wants to save Keller for later in the season? Poni doesn’t think Keller is the guy that needs to be coming out of games early if he’s rolling. Mitch Keller was pulled after 75 pitches while rolling through 6 innings of work. He was shutting out San Diego when he was taken out before the bullpen, starting with Justin Lawrence, came in to get beat up. There was also a discussion over Konnor Griffin sitting on the same day he signed his record-breaking deal with the Pirates. We got an explanation as to why Keller was taken out at 75 pitches.

2 points away from a playoff spot are the Penguins as they travel to New Jersey for a 7 pm puck drop tomorrow night. It is looking more and more likely that the Penguins are going to meet the Flyers in the first round. Poni is afraid of that matchup – Chris is all for it. Poni wants to see a matchup with Columbus to start things out because he doesn’t feel like the Penguins can beat the Flyers right now. Chris puts a win in the series around 70%. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said she is ‘at a loss for words’ in regards to the deal not being done between the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. She doesn’t understand a team being at the mercy of someone else’s timeline, especially when that person is a 40+ year-old QB. Aditi doesn’t think the Mike McCarthy hire was built on the fact that it would lead to a likely Rodgers return, but more about his acumen with quarterbacks. Aditi reiterated what she heard from members in the Steelers facility after the season regarding the ‘miniscule’ chance of Rodgers coming back. She noted that his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show changed her mind to a degree, since he has said again and again that he will disappear once he’s done. Aditi said no matter how the Steelers spin it, when you rely on a 42-year-old quarterback, it’s about this year, and this year only. Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK thinks Sergey Murashov should be the man in net in a game or two of these final three. The Penguins are traveling all 3 goaltenders to New Jersey for the game tomorrow night. Tyler said it’s not an exact science, but we have seen teams call up young goalies late in the season that have paid off in the playoffs. How much can you trust Stuart Skinner in a postseason run? Which teams are favorable matchups for the Penguins in the first round? TK is afraid of seeing the Flyers in the playoffs because of how they have played down the stretch. Is Elmer Soderblom coming out of the lineup despite 3 goals in his last 5 games?

93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Some folks found a way to take the comments from Paul Skenes in a negative light after the ace said Konnor Griffin will be the ‘face’ of the franchise for years to come. Jeff doesn’t think that was a move by Skenes to indicate he won’t be around long. Why did Griffin get the day off, until he entered it as a pinch-hitter late? Jeff was stunned to see Bob Nutting signing autographs before the finale at PNC Park today.

Pittsburgh native, Bethel Park grad and Waynesburg product Mason Miller got the final out today at PNC Park.

It was still a banner day to be a Pirates fan as Konnor Griffin signed his 9-year extension with the club that will keep him here until 2034. Is this current group capable of winning something big? The Pirates have Griffin for nearly a decade and have Paul Skenes under control for a few more years. Are we still finding fans that can’t help but be negative about this? How do fans feel about the future of Pirates baseball?

It’s a final at PNC Park as the Padres take the series over the Pirates in an 8-2 game. Mitch Keller looked good again – his third consecutive quality start to open the season, allowing 0 runs in 6 innings on 75 pitches. The bullpen was a disaster. Is the idea that Don Kelly wants to save Keller for later in the season? Poni doesn’t think Keller is the guy that needs to be coming out of games early if he’s rolling.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. The tabloid story of the day was surrounding Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini from The Athletic. Mike couldn’t too much about the situation himself, but said as much as he could. 15 days away from the NFL Draft and the Steelers have no indication on what is happening with Aaron Rodgers, which feels a whole lot like last year. How much attention does Rodgers want before he makes his decision? Mike isn’t sure if he will be in town for the draft, which he hasn’t attended in about a decade because his duties that night are easier to perform from home.

Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK thinks Sergey Murashov should be the man in net in a game or two of these final three. The Penguins are traveling all 3 goaltenders to New Jersey for the game tomorrow night. Tyler said it’s not an exact science, but we have seen teams call up young goalies late in the season that have paid off in the playoffs. How much can you trust Stuart Skinner in a postseason run? Which teams are favorable matchups for the Penguins in the first round? TK is afraid of seeing the Flyers in the playoffs because of how they have played down the stretch. Is Elmer Soderblom coming out of the lineup despite 3 goals in his last 5 games?

ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi said she is ‘at a loss for words’ in regards to the deal not being done between the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. She doesn’t understand a team being at the mercy of someone else’s timeline, especially when that person is a 40+ year-old QB. Aditi doesn’t think the Mike McCarthy hire was built on the fact that it would lead to a likely Rodgers return, but more about his acumen with quarterbacks. Aditi reiterated what she heard from members in the Steelers facility after the season regarding the ‘miniscule’ chance of Rodgers coming back. She noted that his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show changed her mind to a degree, since he has said again and again that he will disappear once he’s done. Aditi said no matter how the Steelers spin it, when you rely on a 42-year-old quarterback, it’s about this year, and this year only.

2 points away from a playoff spot are the Penguins as they travel to New Jersey for a 7 pm puck drop tomorrow night. It is looking more and more likely that the Penguins are going to meet the Flyers in the first round. Poni is afraid of that matchup – Chris is all for it. Poni wants to see a matchup with Columbus to start things out because he doesn’t feel like the Penguins can beat the Flyers right now. Chris puts a win in the series around 70%.

PM Team FULL Show 4-7-26

Bryan Reynolds made a gaffe last night that led to some runs for the Padres in a 5-0 Pirates loss. Reynolds is back out in LF tonight with Paul Skenes on the mound. Skenes’ Cy Young odds have already taken a dip due to the Opening Day disaster. Why are plays like the ones from Reynolds last night and the Oneil Cruz mishaps on Opening Day not ruled as errors? They didn’t get their glove on the ball, but it’s a judgement call that took ordinary effort to make the plays. We knew the Pirates wouldn’t be good defensively, but we are seeing it first-hand in the first week+ of the season. NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Ryan explained why Denzel Boston may be a WR that falls out of the 1st round. How much does the 40-yard dash time matter for players that put up big production? Darrell Jackson Jr., who is not related to the former Seahawks WR, spent time between the 0-technique and 3-technique last season, so it makes sense for the Steelers to have eyes on him at some point. Why did one of the mock drafts have the Steelers taking an edge rusher in the 1st round? Ryan said the Steelers should select Vega Ioane at 21 if he is available and they shouldn’t think twice about it. He also perused some of the tackles that could fall to the back half of the opening round. Ryan said the medical report on Jordyn Tyson will tell the story of his draft stock because he’s a Top 10 talent that could be left waiting on draft night. Donny Football Debrief – A questionable mock draft from Peter Schrager. And a wild comp for a Pitt LB entering the draft.

Roughly 1/3 of the league changed coaches in the NFL this offseason, including the Steelers. This means they were allowed to begin voluntary workouts this week. We saw social media footage of every guy that showed up. That included players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson around the league. Aaron Rodgers isn’t signed by the Steelers, so he didn’t show up. Is this the same story as last year or is it a little different? Do we blame the Steelers here? Poni listened to what was said about Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show earlier today and felt like the tone was angry toward Steelers fans. How do people feel about this? Are fans annoyed that teams are getting to work and the Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers? CBB Minute – Michigan won their second national championship in school history last night, defeating UConn in the title game, 69-63. And we have a snafu with the PM Team March Madness pool.

The Penguins are 2 points away from clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. They also made some news today by calling up Sergey Murashov. Is he going to get sent right back down or should he get a chance to be this team’s goaltender in the playoffs? Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner have been limping to the finish line, with Skinner coming off injury. Is this the same debate we had 10 years ago when Matt Murray was too good to deny for the Penguins in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Poni is worried that this dream, out-of-nowhere season is going to be spoiled by bad goaltending in the postseason. Is it fair to criticize the Penguins if they screw this up and it ruins their season? Is Sergey Murashov being considered as anything more than an ‘in-case of emergency’ option? Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Is it a big deal that Fernando Mendoza is not attending the NFL Draft? Is Konnor Griffin OK despite his slow start? Did the Pirates make a mistake choosing Marcell Ozuna over Andrew McCutchen? Is The Masters the best sporting event in the month of April? Who is worse in the outfield – Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz?

Ben Cherington spoke to the media today. He was waffling on some questions about the Konnor Griffin contract and how close/far away the team and player are in talks. It appears that Buster Olney jumped the shark on the deal being done. So, what is the story here?

NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports joined the show. Ryan explained why Denzel Boston may be a WR that falls out of the 1st round. How much does the 40-yard dash time matter for players that put up big production? Darrell Jackson Jr., who is not related to the former Seahawks WR, spent time between the 0-technique and 3-technique last season, so it makes sense for the Steelers to have eyes on him at some point. Why did one of the mock drafts have the Steelers taking an edge rusher in the 1st round? Ryan said the Steelers should select Vega Ioane at 21 if he is available and they shouldn’t think twice about it. He also perused some of the tackles that could fall to the back half of the opening round. Ryan said the medical report on Jordyn Tyson will tell the story of his draft stock because he’s a Top 10 talent that could be left waiting on draft night.

Bryan Reynolds made a gaffe last night that led to some runs for the Padres in a 5-0 Pirates loss. Reynolds is back out in LF tonight with Paul Skenes on the mound. Skenes’ Cy Young odds have already taken a dip due to the Opening Day disaster. Why are plays like the ones from Reynolds last night and the Oneil Cruz mishaps on Opening Day not ruled as errors? They didn’t get their glove on the ball, but it’s a judgement call that took ordinary effort to make the plays. We knew the Pirates wouldn’t be good defensively, but we are seeing it first-hand in the first week+ of the season.

CBB Minute – Michigan won their second national championship in school history last night, defeating UConn in the title game, 69-63. And we have a snafu with the PM Team March Madness pool.

Roughly 1/3 of the league changed coaches in the NFL this offseason, including the Steelers. This means they were allowed to begin voluntary workouts this week. We saw social media footage of every guy that showed up. That included players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson around the league. Aaron Rodgers isn’t signed by the Steelers, so he didn’t show up. Is this the same story as last year or is it a little different? Do we blame the Steelers here? Poni listened to what was said about Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show earlier today and felt like the tone was angry toward Steelers fans. How do people feel about this?

Sports Court w/ our friends from Edgar Snyder & Associates. Is it a big deal that Fernando Mendoza is not attending the NFL Draft? Is Konnor Griffin OK despite his slow start? Did the Pirates make a mistake choosing Marcell Ozuna over Andrew McCutchen? Is The Masters the best sporting event in the month of April? Who is worse in the outfield – Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz?

The Penguins are 2 points away from clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. They also made some news today by calling up Sergey Murashov. Is he going to get sent right back down or should he get a chance to be this team’s goaltender in the playoffs? Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner have been limping to the finish line, with Skinner coming off injury. Is this the same debate we had 10 years ago when Matt Murray was too good to deny for the Penguins in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Poni is worried that this dream, out-of-nowhere season is going to be spoiled by bad goaltending in the postseason. Is it fair to criticize the Penguins if they screw this up and it ruins their season?

PM Team FULL Show 4-6-26

We are less than 2.5 weeks away from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Are the Steelers actually interested in Ty Simpson, or is that just a smokescreen? Would it make more sense for the Steelers to use a mid-round pick on Carson Beck? Beck has struggled when he hasn’t had clean pockets in the past. Poni thinks that it is a bad sign that Beck turns the ball over at a higher rate than most other prospects. Charlie Batch doubled down on his statement that there is a contract dispute between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. More callers chime in on Drew Allar and the Steelers. Donny Football Debrief – Joey Porter Jr said that people harp on his game a lot because of the penalties, but he hasn’t given up a touchdown in 3 years. He also called himself a top 5 corner in football.

The Pirates swept the Orioles over the weekend and have now won 5 games in a row. Poni is surprised by how many people are more optimistic about the Pirates than they are the Penguins. Mullsy wants people to pump the brakes on the Pirates because we are only 9 games in. Is the Pirates rotation going to be a reason for major success this season? Oneil Cruz deserves credit for how well he has hit lefties to start the year. We have an update on the Limits and Callas drama. Callers talk more about Pirates/Penguins. Mock of the Day. ESPN released a mock draft collaborated on by 4 of their biggest names. Mel Kiper has the Steelers taking Penn State’s Vega Ioane in round 1. Poni thinks that most Steelers fans would be happy with that.

An incredible weekend in Pittsburgh sports included a Pirates’ sweep of the Orioles at PNC Park and the Penguins waxing the floor with the Panthers on Saturday and Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. Which team are we more fired up for? The Pirates have won 5 straight games and the Penguins are staring at a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Can the Penguins win a series if they get to the postseason? Even though there are 150+ games left in the baseball season, it feels like there is buzz around the Buccos. Are fans more excited for the Penguins or Pirates? HOCKEY TALK! One more goal for Elmer Soderblom wins Donny the bet over Poni. Can he do it?

FanGraphs currently has the Pirates projected to win the NL Central just over a week into the season. Is it too early to call? Yeah. Will the Cubs or Brewers figure it out? Probably. This Pirates team does feel like it has a different feel than some others that fizzled out in year’s past.

Donny Football Debrief – Joey Porter Jr said that people harp on his game a lot because of the penalties, but he hasn’t given up a touchdown in 3 years. He also called himself a top 5 corner in football.

We are less than 2.5 weeks away from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Are the Steelers actually interested in Ty Simpson, or is that just a smokescreen? Would it make more sense for the Steelers to use a mid-round pick on Carson Beck? Beck has struggled when he hasn’t had clean pockets in the past. Poni thinks that it is a bad sign that Beck turns the ball over at a higher rate than most other prospects.

Mock of the Day. ESPN released a mock draft collaborated on by 4 of their biggest names. Mel Kiper has the Steelers taking Penn State’s Vega Ioane in round 1. Poni thinks that most Steelers fans would be

The Pirates swept the Orioles over the weekend and have now won 5 games in a row. Poni is surprised by how many people are more optimistic about the Pirates than they are the Penguins. Mullsy wants people to pump the brakes on the Pirates because we are only 9 games in. Is the Pirates rotation going to be a reason for major success this season? Oneil Cruz deserves credit for how well he has hit lefties to start the year.

An incredible weekend in Pittsburgh sports included a Pirates’ sweep of the Orioles at PNC Park and the Penguins waxing the floor with the Panthers on Saturday and Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. Which team are we more fired up for? The Pirates have won 5 straight games and the Penguins are staring at a playoff berth for the first time since 2022. Can the Penguins win a series if they get to the postseason? Even though there are 150+ games left in the baseball season, it feels like there is buzz around the Buccos.

It’s a great time to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Konnor Griffin is with the Pirates and reportedly signing a large extension with the Bucs opening PNC Park for the 2026 season. Also, what happened at the NFL owner meetings?

PM Team FULL Show 4-2-26

Today has been a day of celebration. The Pirates have called up and signed Konnor Griffin to a 9-year extension. It’s a tough day for the cynics because the Buccos have done something they’ve never really done before. Fans lined up to give their thoughts on the Pirates’ handling of Konnor Griffin. Total Request Thursday.

BREAKING: Konnor Griffin and the Pirates have reportedly agreed to a 9-year deal worth $140M. What a day for the Pirates, their fans, and Griffin. Is this the dawn of a new era of Pirates baseball? Pirates fans sound off on Konnor Griffin signing his extension with the team. Bucco Minute – More reaction to the Pirates calling up and extending Konnor Griffin.

What should the expectation be for Konnor Griffin? Is it fair to compare him to names like Andrew McCutchen or Barry Bonds? You can argue that he is a better prospect than both of those players were. Griffin has drawn comparisons to some of the best young players in the game today – can he exceed their numbers? KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob expects Konnor Griffin to be a very good player, but where can he rank among Pirates greats? Bob wants to see Griffin just show he belongs in the major leagues in his rookie season. The guys had Bob guess a few totals for Griffin in 2026. Bob said there are a lot of uncertainties with the teams in town, which makes it hard to decide the closest to a championship. He still likes the pitching the Pirates can bring to a playoff series. Pomp thinks Aaron Rodgers with protection can make the Steelers a serious contender. Can the Penguins handle the playoff pressure that looks to be ahead of them? Does Bob think Griffin will win any MVP awards while in Pittsburgh? Power Rankings – Anticipated Pirates debuts.

Konnor Griffin has been called up to the bigs. The top prospect in baseball will join the Pirates tomorrow as they get set for their home opener against the Orioles. Is this the right time? Is it hard to not be excited for this? Poni questioned the timing of this. Chris had the theory that it was all tied to his contract extension, which many believe is the next step, and it had nothing to do with what he did or didn’t do in spring training. How do Pirates fans feel about Konnor Griffin being called up less than a week after his Triple A debut? Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason wasn’t ready to commit to an extension being done between the Pirates and Konnor Griffin. He said Griffin got the call because it’s the right baseball move, after KG started out hitting .500 in Triple A. What is PPI and why is it so complicated? Jason said Griffin responded the way the Pirates were hoping for in his first (and only) week in Indianapolis. Tomorrow’s game is already sold out, so Jason doesn’t understand why people assume the team called Griffin up just to goose ticket sales. Who is the odd-man-out that gets sent down in correspondence to the Griffin promotion?

Today has been a day of celebration. The Pirates have called up and signed Konnor Griffin to a 9-year extension. It’s a tough day for the cynics because the Buccos have done something they’ve never really done before.

BREAKING: Konnor Griffin and the Pirates have reportedly agreed to a 9-year deal worth $140M. What a day for the Pirates, their fans, and Griffin. Is this the dawn of a new era of Pirates baseball?

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob expects Konnor Griffin to be a very good player, but where can he rank among Pirates greats? Bob wants to see Griffin just show he belongs in the major leagues in his rookie season. The guys had Bob guess a few totals for Griffin in 2026. Bob said there are a lot of uncertainties with the teams in town, which makes it hard to decide the closest to a championship. He still likes the pitching the Pirates can bring to a playoff series. Pomp thinks Aaron Rodgers with protection can make the Steelers a serious contender. Can the Penguins handle the playoff pressure that looks to be ahead of them? Does Bob think Griffin will win any MVP awards while in Pittsburgh?

Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason wasn’t ready to commit to an extension being done between the Pirates and Konnor Griffin. He said Griffin got the call because it’s the right baseball move, after KG started out hitting .500 in Triple A. What is PPI and why is it so complicated? Jason said Griffin responded the way the Pirates were hoping for in his first (and only) week in Indianapolis. Tomorrow’s game is already sold out, so Jason doesn’t understand why people assume the team called Griffin up just to goose ticket sales. Who is the odd-man-out that gets sent down in correspondence to the Griffin promotion?

Konnor Griffin has been called up to the bigs. The top prospect in baseball will join the Pirates tomorrow as they get set for their home opener against the Orioles. Is this the right time? Is it hard to not be excited for this? Poni questioned the timing of this. Chris had the theory that it was all tied to his contract extension, which many believe is the next step, and it had nothing to do with what he did or didn’t do in spring training.

PM Team FULL Show 4-1-26

Buster Olney shed some light on the latest in the contract negotiations going on with Konnor Griffin. The figure, according to Olney, looks like it could be close to the Corbin Carroll territory of 8 years for roughly $111M. Is it smart for Griffin to take that deal as a safety net that also allows him to hit free agency while he is still in his prime? We have seen plenty of players sign deals like this before they ever make their MLB debut. We heard from Paul Skenes following today’s win in Cincy.

Are fans ready to apologize to Oneil Cruz? After the debacle on Opening Day, Cruz has caught fire in Cincy – homering 3 times in back-to-back games. Jake Mangum was 0-5 today after he’s gotten praise in the last few days. More calls reacting to the Pirates win in Cincy. We heard from Don Kelly following the win. Donny Football Debrief – A few NFL content notes.

Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. It was not an April Fools Day joke from Mike about the Broncos having interest in Aaron Rodgers. The Broncos have a way better chance of sending Rodgers out with a Super Bowl ring, but what if he’s the backup QB? Mike said Sean Payton is aware of the limited group of coaches that have won Super Bowls with 2 or more teams and he could see this as his best shot at locking in his Hall of Fame candidacy. Does Rodgers give the Broncos a better shot than Bo Nix? Mike said the more he talks to other people about it, the more he thinks it’s a possibility. Mike doesn’t think Rodgers will request a much higher price tag than he played for last season. Mike doesn’t under why the Steelers feel like Rodgers will announce his decision on draft night, hyping up the fanbase even more. The Pirates have taken the series in Cincy following an 8-3 win over the Reds. Back-to-back games with the same outcome and back-to-back games with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz hitting homers. The Pirates are among the league leaders in team HR through 6 games. Bucco Minute – The Pirates are 3-3 coming home on Friday to open their schedule at PNC Park in 2026.

What are the best moves made by the Penguins over the course of the season? Poni thinks there are a definitive 3 that greatly impacted the season. Signing Anthony Mantha to a 1-year flier deal in a season in which he has scored 30 goals. His next one was the Egor Chinakhov trade that immediately paid off. The final one was the Tristan Jarry trade that ridded the Penguins of an awful contract and situation. The talk turned to the draft and how that could impact a potential Penguins playoff series at the same time. ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Is Ty Simpson bound for Pittsburgh? Aditi told the guys that Ben Roethlisberger believes Simpson to the Steelers would get booed by the fans. Aditi said she is ‘all in’ on the Steelers seeing what they have in Will Howard. Are people knocking Simpson because of himself or because of Dan Orlovsky? She doesn’t think the Steelers should be locked in on Simpson as we sit about 3 weeks away from the draft. Aditi feels like the Steelers are still favoring WR at 21st overall, but they will be considering best player available, no matter the position. The Steelers have a dozen picks this year, but will they use all of them? Aditi dove into the QB issues that have plagued the Steelers for 5 years now. 93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff, the ultimate hustler of covering sports, said he would choose covering the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh over a Penguins first round playoff game. Jeff said, according to the NHL, they are not adjusting their playoff schedule even if it means the Penguins have a home playoff game the same night of the draft. The guys got Jeff’s reaction to the Penguins dominating their back-to-back against the Islanders and Red Wings. Is this team a lock to make the playoffs? The guys asked Jeff about the schedule quirk that has them facing the Panthers in home games on consecutive days over the weekend. Should Dan Muse get more consideration for the Coach of the Year award?

Buster Olney shed some light on the latest in the contract negotiations going on with Konnor Griffin. The figure, according to Olney, looks like it could be close to the Corbin Carroll territory of 8 years for roughly $111M. Is it smart for Griffin to take that deal as a safety net that also allows him to hit free agency while he is still in his prime? We have seen plenty of players sign deals like this before they ever make their MLB debut.

The Pirates have taken the series in Cincy following an 8-3 win over the Reds. Back-to-back games with the same outcome and back-to-back games with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz hitting homers. The Pirates are among the league leaders in team HR through 6 games.