| More

Dejan Kovacevic's Blog

Pittsburgh sports talk with the Trib columnist



Radio podcast: A.J. on Pirates’ 2012 trade deadline

March 5th, 2013

By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media

BRADENTON, Fla. — Here’s today’s TribLIVE Radio show podcast, featuring my guests, A.J. Burnett of the Pirates and TribLIVE Radio host Ken Laird, both on site.

Filed under: Uncategorized Comments (14) Article tags: ,

14 Comments

  • Ghost says:
    March 5, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    Just finished listening to your interview with A.J. Both here, and basically every time I listen to a clip of Burnett speaking to a reporter, I am taken by how mellow and collected this guy is, off the field. I know this is how it is with plenty of professional athletes. (And we all know the jock wannabes that try to ape this off-the-field coolness). But Burnett truly sounds so even-tempered and at ease when conversing that it’s practically jarring to think of how fiery he can be at times.

    Reply
  • John Lease says:
    March 5, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    Jonathan Sanchez-trainwreck?

    He’ll get his chance in AAA, hopefully.

    Reply
  • Stuart says:
    March 5, 2013 at 6:11 pm

    DK,

    Thanks for the podcast. Really a good one today. AJ is the real deal. Some good spec on the Pens re trade possibilities. personally I hope they keep Despres. I see him as having better potential than Letang. He’s good now and will get better. TK might better fulfill his potential somewhere else, but I wouldn’t expect much in trade return. I would trade Letang for Jack J., and a prospect winger.

    Stuart

    DK: Glad you liked the podcast, Stu. Thank you. Hope you can tell we had some fun with it.

    Reply
    • sjb says:
      March 5, 2013 at 7:42 pm

      Despres isn’t going anywhere, especially for Johnson. The last thing the Pens want is to add to their cap issues with a big contract for another 5-years before they even have Letang and Malkin locked up. Right now Despres has more upside and potential than Johnson who is not living up to the hype and they have Despres at under $1 million until he’s a RFA in 2014/15. Unless the Pens are afraid they might not be able to resign Letang, then there’s no reason to add Johnson and his contract in place of Despres. Unless they can get someone cheap, the Pens would be best going the rental route even if it means giving up top round picks until they know better where they stand after this off-season.

      That said; if they can unload Orpik, TK and Bortuzzo for Johnson and maybe Letestu while even throwing in a conditional pick, I’d do that all day. ;)

      DK: Really surprised more people haven’t picked up on Jack Johnson’s contract issue. The Penguins flat-out aren’t in a position to add something like that, not with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang needing to be extended next summer.

      Reply
  • officer mancuso says:
    March 5, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    The combo of DK & AJ resulted in my first use of a podcast. AJ gave the promised straight answer by saying loss of (player self) confidence, not FO failure to deal at the deadline, led to Epic Collapse II. That puts the burden on Hurdle, not the GM.

    Reply
    • Arriba Wilver says:
      March 5, 2013 at 9:18 pm

      I don’t think that was his intent. I think he was trying to put it on the players.

      Reply
      • Thundercrack says:
        March 5, 2013 at 9:27 pm

        I didn’t see it that way either OM.
        I think the burden can be shared, but I have always believed that most of it falls on the players.

        Reply
    • Ghost says:
      March 5, 2013 at 11:36 pm

      Regarding A.J., AW mentioned he thought Burnett “…was trying to put it on the players.” “Trying” is the operative word here. Burnett was being diplomatic. He is not going to stir up any trouble. He said the ‘right’ thing: whether he actually wished the FO had done more (like acquire another bat), one wonders.

      Re: Jack Wilson
      He was a terrific shortstop and an even more terrific person. Always had time for a fan, always had time for the media, always had a sunny disposition through it all.

      Reply
  • Thundercrack says:
    March 5, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    Listening to the podcast.

    Travis Snider = the anti-Jack Wilson

    Reply
  • Thundercrack says:
    March 5, 2013 at 9:52 pm

    Ken Laird is making so much of Gerrit Cole striking out 6 from team Spain. A real big deal. And trying to make a comparison to Roger Clemens.

    Please Laird to go straight to Latrobe and wait for training camp to start.

    Reply
  • officer mancuso says:
    March 5, 2013 at 10:24 pm

    I surely agree that AJ didn’t mean to call out Hurdle. I think, though, that he did.

    Reply

Leave a Reply