Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Cherington

Host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey to react to the Pirates' disastrous series sweep at the hands of the Brewers in Milwaukee. Why is this team still struggling so much, even after GM Ben Cherington decided to keep productive veterans like Tommy Pham and Isiah Kiner-Falefa on expiring contracts? How did manager Don Kelly's club fall so far behind its small-market peer, led by GM Matt Arnold? Can Bob Nutting or anyone else really complain about MLB economics when the Brewers are thriving like they are? And how much longer can Cherington hold onto his job? Our duo tackles those topics, plus some on-field questions. Is there any hope left for Jack Suwinski, who's struggled immensely since his most recent promotion from the minor leagues? Will Oneil Cruz's injured list stint snap him out of his post-All-Star break funk? And how bad could this offense be in 2026 if both Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen choose not to return?

Kevin Gorman of TribLive joins me for the baseball podcast. We talk about their failures in Milwaukee, Don Kelly as a manger so far, demands from future GM candidates if Ben Cherington is fired, Bubba Chandler's future and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why, if he isn't getting fired, won't Ben Cherington just resign? Hear award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic's Daily Shots of Steelers, Penguins and Pirates -- three separate podcasts -- every weekday morning on the DK Pittsburgh Sports podcasting network, available on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/dkpghsports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

North Shore Nine Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Brothers. TThe Pirates delivered another lifeless performance in Milwaukee, falling 7-1 to the Brewers in a game that perfectly sums up this frustrating season. Tyler and Neil rip into Andrew Heaney's disastrous start, the constant roster mismanagement, and why Bubba Chandler needs to replace him ASAP. They break down the team's infield shuffle madness, the offense's three-hit showing, and how Ben Cherington's six years of incompetence have left this organization without direction. From the Brewers' smart roster building to the Pirates' endless self-sabotage, nothing is off limits in this brutally honest postgame. If you're tired of sugarcoating Pirates baseball, you're in the right place. Hit subscribe and join the NS9 community for more unfiltered postgame reactions all season long. Presented by Fanduel Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at https://www.defer.coffee Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myspreadshop.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social

Who were some great singers and actors? Ben Cherington had another baffling quote, this time about Bubba Chandler. Could the Pirates bring back Tommy Pham? Why are we still talking about Triolo and Suwinski? Mullys drops in with a special gift to Joe from Oakmont.

Who were some great singers and actors? Ben Cherington had another baffling quote, this time about Bubba Chandler. Could the Pirates bring back Tommy Pham? Why are we still talking about Triolo and Suwinski? Mullys drops in with a special gift to Joe from Oakmont. Joe runs down the performance of several QBs who the Steelers could've taken - Milton, Dart, Sanders, Milroe, Fields, Joe had a crazy sneeze.

The Steelers backup QBs looked good on Saturday. Will Mason Rudolph become the fan's choice once again? Can Skylar Thompson make the team? Joe references Brady's first year in Tampa has a guideline for Rodgers this year. Is Mason Rudolph the best backup in the NFL? We run down some of the other backup QBs. Are people getting ahead of themselves with Joey Porter Jr? We know what Rudolph is at this point. Bob likes what he saw from Arthur Smith. A caller suggests trading Mason to give Howard valuable reps. Tomlin indicated maybe no Rodgers this preseason. Justin Fields looked good in his preseason game. A caller thinks the Steelers are a legit contender and thinks it's up to Rodgers on if he plays in the preseason. Another caller is optimistic about the corners helping the entire defense. Kaleb Johnson wasn't very impressive. Joe gives his take on Cam Heyward holding in and provides examples of the Steelers treating him well over the years. Fans seem to be against him. The lack of postseason success makes it harder to justify big contracts for Heyward and Watt. Cam could've put this out on his podcast but didn't. This news snuck up on everyone. The Steelers have become pushovers. They didn't acquiesce to Bell less than a decade ago. We still don't know what exactly Cam is asking for. Cam's reputation is taking a hit right now, fairly or unfairly. Would fans be happy if he was traded today? Starkey gets excited about a golf course recommendation. Tomlin didn't get any questions because nobody was there seemingly. A caller says Cam should've signed a 1-year deal only. More callers chime in on Cam, with one saying he deserves to seek what he's worth. Bob seems less bothered by Cam than Joe and most fans. Joe heard from Ron yesterday. Pomp did a call in honor of Donny Football. Donny was very excited. Steelers tidbits: why can't you dunk on the goalposts, Broderick Jones looked good, the hawk eye measurement has arrived. Who were some great singers and actors? Ben Cherington had another baffling quote, this time about Bubba Chandler. Could the Pirates bring back Tommy Pham? Why are we still talking about Triolo and Suwinski? Mullys drops in with a special gift to Joe from Oakmont. Joe runs down the performance of several QBs who the Steelers could've taken - Milton, Dart, Sanders, Milroe, Fields, Joe had a crazy sneeze.

Tim Benz and Kevin Gorman talk about Paul Skenes' latest start, his mastery of the Reds, his contractual options with the Pirates, and Ben Cherington's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Zangrilli joins the show to talk about doing play-by-play for Pirates games, the Paul Skenes extension bombshell, where the Pirates go from here, if Ben Cherington will be back in 2026, just how impressive Don Kelly has been this season, if Dan knows how to take a compliment, and more!

Hour 1: Will Howard suffered a hand injury at camp, but Dom says this could actually be a positive for the Steelers. It appears Howard Stern is done at SiriusXM. And Joe doesn't know who Sydney Sweeney is. Hour 2: Mark Kaboly joins the show to talk Will Howard's injury, preseason games, and more! ESPN and the NFL have officially announced their merger deal. And Joe and Dom get into an intense James Franklin debate. Hour 3: Dan Zangrilli joins the show to talk about his Paul Skenes extension comments from earlier this week. Joe is feeling self-conscious about his looks. And there was confusion over when Joe should do a live read. Hour 4: Dom says Micah Parsons will get traded to the Ravens. Should Aaron Rodgers play at all this preseason? And did CBS do the Steelers dirty with their Week 1 announcing schedule?

Will Howard will miss the entire preseason, per the reports of a broken hand. It's probably good Poni is off today. We acknowledge that it does suck for Howard because this was his big shot to show the Steelers if he had anything, even if we have to take preseason results with a grain of salt. Chris said there is no shame in being a career backup if you were chosen in the 6th round. It robs Howard of some important reps, but this should have never prohibited the Steelers from their plan in 2026. Where did Howard rank for you among guys you were excited to watch on Saturday? Does this injury take the expectations for Howard back down to earth? Poni thinks he jinxed Will Howard when he took him in Black and Gold Auction House. A commenter paid $10 to comment on Youtube that Dom should produce a double header. A caller thought he was talking to both Donny and Poni before he realized it was Mullsy. Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joined the show. Matt says that it is frustrating for fans to have to trust Ben Cherington's decisions on certain trade packages. The rumor was that Cherington turned down a package headlined by Eduardo Tait to take the Flores package instead. Clement mentions that Flores fits the Paul Skenes timeline and Tait does not. He also says that the numbers that Skenes has put up his first two years have never been seen before. Matt says that it would make sense for Skenes to sign a contract with the Pirates early in his career for security, and then he can go and make a ton of money elsewhere afterwards.

Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joined the show. Matt says that it is frustrating for fans to have to trust Ben Cherington's decisions on certain trade packages. The rumor was that Cherington turned down a package headlined by Eduardo Tait to take the Flores package instead. Clement mentions that Flores fits the Paul Skenes timeline and Tait does not. He also says that the numbers that Skenes has put up his first two years have never been seen before. Matt says that it would make sense for Skenes to sign a contract with the Pirates early in his career for security, and then he can go and make a ton of money elsewhere afterwards.

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Colin Beazley discusses Paul Skenes' recent comments to the Post-Gazette on the Pirates' MLB 2025 trade deadline, in which they dealt away names including David Bednar, Bailey Falter and Ke'Bryan Hayes and shifted their focus towards 2026. Skenes is hopeful that the moves will allow the Pirates to make some acquisitions and add to the offense in the offseason. Beazley then compares this with comments made Sunday by general manager Ben Cherington, in which he said that the Pirates never make moves "in order to save money" and said that the Pirates will be more flexible to add in 2026.

The Pirates survived a crazy Rockies series, but after the trade deadline, are they any different? Jim and DiNardo react to Ben Cherington's and Paul Skenes' post-deadline comments, talk about who needs to step up down the stretch, and preview the Giants series. The final two months could tell us a lot — or nothing at all. Presented by Fanduel Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at https://www.defer.coffee Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myspreadshop.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social

Hour 3 with Joe Starkey: Mike DeFabo has been underwhelmed by the offense. Broderick Jones was Mike's biggest concern going into training camp, and has stayed the same. Ben Cherington said he would never make a trade to save money. He said they can use payroll space to help the team. We are baffled by the Bailey Falter trade.

Ben Cherington said he would never make a trade to save money. He said they can use payroll space to help the team. Cherington says they evaluate options and what are the alternatives. Ke'Bryan Hayes had an OPS 40% worse than league average the last two years.

Jonathan Rice (@PhilPhan99) and Connor Williams (@Wins_Williams) bring you the latest Talk the Plank 3k on Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). In this episode, you get a recap of a wild and weird series in Colorado and a preview of the upcoming homestand versus the Giants. Connor and Jonathan also have some thoughts on the latest Ben Cherington comments and the trade deadline. Let's go BUCS!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson react to some comments Pirates' GM Ben Cherington made, where he shares how he feels about this season's MLB Trade Deadline.

Ben Cherington said that the Pirates would never make a trade to save money, yet he contradicted himself in the next sentence. Poni says that the whole point of the Paul Skenes era is to spend money while we have him. The Pirates rank 8th in attendance in the NL, despite the small market. Cherington also said that the Pirates spend money on things outside of the player payroll in order to win games. MLB prospect expert Keith Law from The Athletic joined the show. Keith says that the Pirates “did fine” at the Trade Deadline. He also says that everything the Pirates do should be to get talent around Paul Skenes for the time that they have him. Keith can't believe that the Pirates turned down Eduardo Tait for Rafael Flores instead. He brings up the fact that the Pirates do not have a good track record of developing power hitters. Keith had to look up one of the guys that the Pirates traded Bailey Falter for. He also believes that “everybody missed” on Termarr Johnson. Keith says that the Pirates are still trying to figure out Bubba Chandler's breaking ball. Weekend Review. Will Steelers' Friday Night Lights practice attendance beat the Pirates attendance tonight? The guys think so. The Pirates have had 2 games on Mondays exceed 13000 fans in attendance. The guys needed the intern to tell them who NBA Youngboy was.

Ben Cherington said that the Pirates would never make a trade to save money, yet he contradicted himself in the next sentence. Poni says that the whole point of the Paul Skenes era is to spend money while we have him. The Pirates rank 8th in attendance in the NL, despite the small market. Cherington also said that the Pirates spend money on things outside of the player payroll in order to win games.

The trades Ben Cherington made early in his career have been poor. Joe loses his mind looking back at trades of Starling Marte, Clay Holmes, and more. Tom Brady is now a minority owner for the Raiders. Do you want him calling your game? Madden ranks the Steelers as the No. 1 defense.

We are still in shock by how bad Ben Cherington is at his job. We thought it was a bad decision to let the man run the deadline this season and it was proven yesterday. Only one of the new prospects has cracked the Pirates new Top 10, according to MLB Pipeline. Just how bad was it? Open Phone Friday.

We are still in shock by how bad Ben Cherington is at his job. We thought it was a bad decision to let the man run the deadline this season and it was proven yesterday. Only one of the new prospects has cracked the Pirates new Top 10, according to MLB Pipeline. Just how bad was it?

Ben Cherington believes that he put the Pirates in a stronger position going into next year. Yahoo Sports gave the Pirates an F+ for the trade deadline. Mullsy dropped the Pirates deadline grade to an F. Poni thinks the Ke'Bryan Hayes trade was the Pirates only good decision. He gives it a B+. Tommy Pham has been one of the best hitters in baseball the last couple of months, and the Pirates somehow didn't trade him. An insider says he is done with the Pirates because they care more about finances than winning. MLB writer Travis Sawchik from Driveline Baseball joined the show. Rafael Flores is ranked below Nick Yorke in the Pirates top 30 prospects. Sawchik says the Pirates went against the league consensus with the return in the Bednar trade. He also says that Fangraphs projects that Flores would have an 86 WRC+ if he came up today, which is a problem because he might not be a catcher. Travis says he can't believe Bailey Falter would be a non-tender candidate. Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Florio says the Micah Parsons situation was just the Cowboys doing Cowboys things and it blew up in their faces. He also says that if he were to get traded it would take two first rounders and a $45 million deal. Mike says that Parsons lost all of his leverage because he actually showed up. Mike thinks that Buffalo makes the most sense to send a deal for Parsons. He thinks that the Terry Mclaurin trade request is just an effort to get the Commanders to pay him. Florio says that people should be skeptical of anything ESPN reports about the NFL as a whole.

Trade Deadline is over. It's dead, you can say. What a miserable time this was for the Pirates. Nothing was good. Nothing. I don't know how to save our team. Ben Cherington has successfully sabotaged 2026. Let's talk about it.https://linktr.ee/bridgetobuctoberhttp://steelcitypirates.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/bridge-to-buctober/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hour 2 with Joe Starkey: Pirates reporter John Perrotto of Pittsburgh Baseball Now joined the show and said Ke'Bryan Hayes needed a change of scenery. John thinks the Rangers think Bednar could be "the last piece" for them to get into the playoffs. He doesn't think Mitch Keller will be traded before 6pm, but things can change. John said there's a 75% chance David Bednar is traded. Bob Nutting has stepped in to prevent a Bednar trade before. Greg Brown thinks Ben Cherington would make a big move, but now it's time.

Termarr Johnson isn't hitting well enough in the minors, but is only 21. John Perrotto doesn't think Mitch Keller will be traded. John said there's a 75% chance David Bednar is traded. Bob Nutting has stepped in to prevent a Bednar trade in the past. Greg Brown a month ago thought Ben Cherington would make a big move, but now it's time.

David Bednar was traded to the Yankees with the headline of the return being Rafael Flores, the Yankees 8th ranked prospect. The A's traded Mason Miller to the Padres for the 3rd ranked prospect in all of baseball. The guys don't like this trade. The guys are definitely unhappy with the Bednar trade. Mullsy gives the trade a D. The Yankees don't have a good farm system and the Pirates only fetched their 8th ranked prospect in return. Jeff Passan loves the trade for the Pirates. Poni calls Flores a diamond in the rough. Ben Cherington said that he'd make the 2026 Pirates better, but he has actively made the 2026 Pirates worse. The guys look back at the JT Brubaker trade from a while ago, saying that it actually looks like a good one. Adam Marco joins the show. Adam thinks that Flores can turn into a good hitter in the majors. He also says that he has a projectable build and has a great personality that resonates with fans pretty well. Marco says that Flores can make good contact and that he shouldn't strike out too much.

The trade deadline is four hours away and scuttlebutt is abound. Jon Morosi can speak 6 different languages. Mason Miller got traded for a king's ransom, so is it a given that David Bednar will get traded before the show's over? Chris says Ben Cherington is an “ignoramous”. Poni wants to open up the phones, but the only guy on the line is someone labeled “DO NOT ANSWER, GUY KEEPS CALLING”. A caller badly messes up IKF's name. Chris praises Intern Jack, but takes a shot at me. How much faith should we have in Cherington at this deadline? Chris doesn't know if Bednar will ever be as good as he is now. A caller says he would rather give up Bubba Chandler over Bednar. What? Poni has heard a rumor that the Rangers are interested in Andrew McCutchen, but Pittsburgh has said no go. Jason Mackey joins the show to talk about a potential Cutch trade, what he expects to happen with Bednar, who's making the calls behind-the-scenes on trades, and reaction to

Pirates saved roughly $20 million with the Bednar and Hayes trades. Jeff Passan loves the Bednar trade for the Pirates. Donny Football said on Twitter that it's incredible how bad Ben Cherington is at his job. Mullsy thinks the deal was below average for Ben Cherington. Poni says that one of the pros of the trade is that Flores has been productive in the minors. The Bednar trade does not measure up when compared to other deals. A caller calls for Ben Cherington to be fired now. An insider on Twitter said that the Bednar return was light in terms of the reliever market. We still don't have a Tommy Pham or IKF trade with 100 minutes until the trade deadline. A caller says that the Pirates won't reinvest the money they freed up. Poni and Mullsy both tweeted out polls asking if fans liked the Bednar trade, and both polls resulted in about 85% no. A caller is happy that Bednar got traded because he wants him to go win a World Series. Poni mentions that the Pirates never have a hard time finding a good closer. However, that was usually the case when Huntington was the GM. The Pirates traded Joe Musgrove to the Padres for a guy that recently retired from baseball, among two others that were not good. They also got Endy Rodriguez from the Mets in that deal. A caller says he likes Rafael Flores more because he plays first base as well as catcher. Another caller says that the Bednar trade made him buy Phillies hats for him and his wife and become a Phillies fan. Philip Rivers became a grandfather today.

In this emergency episode of North Shore Nine, we react live to the shocking trade that sent Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds. We break down what the Pirates got in return — including Edwin Arroyo and Julian Aguiar — and debate what this move signals about Ben Cherington's strategy heading into the deadline. Was this a smart sell-high move? Are the Pirates waving the white flag? And what does this mean for the rest of the roster? We've got instant analysis, heated takes, and plenty of fan reaction in this breaking episode.

What is Cherington thinking right now? A caller gives insight on a few prospects the Pirates could target. The Pirates drafted a guy in the 2nd round and he went to college instead. The General offers up a Ryne Sandberg card and throws in Nick Kurtz. Joe asks about a Caitlin Clark card.

Ke'Bryan Hayes traded to the Reds for reliever Taylor Rogers and prospect Sammy Stafura. Stafura is a top ten prospect in the Reds organization. The guys like the trade. Mullsy is afraid that Hayes will go to Cincinnati and start hitting. Poni thinks that Ke'bryan hated Pittsburgh. Mullsy says that Ke'Bryan needs to take accountability for playing terribly in Pittsburgh. Mullsy says that a change of scenery could work out for Ke'Bryan. Poni says that Paul Skenes should drive Hayes to the ballpark so that he can be in the lineup that faces him. People on twitter are saying that not even a hitter's park can make Ke'Bryan a good hitter. Poni really thinks that Hayes is just a terrible hitter, Mullsy thinks that the Pirates player development could be the problem. Poni mentions Hayes' constant terrible body language. Bucco Minute. Mullsy says that he is showing that he likes the Hayes trade, just in a weird manner. Every caller agrees that the Hayes trade was a success. One caller called the Hayes trade “absolutely amazing”. Poni makes the point that both Quinn Priester and Clay Holmes have been good since the Pirates traded them, and says that he doesn't want Ben Cherington making trades. Mullsy asks why Cherington is still employed. A caller says that the Hayes trade was just a salary dump. Mullsy says that Ke'Bryan would be a massive bargain if he could hit at all.

Bucco Minute. Mullsy says that he is showing that he likes the Hayes trade, just in a weird manner. Every caller agrees that the Hayes trade was a success. One caller called the Hayes trade “absolutely amazing”. Poni makes the point that both Quinn Priester and Clay Holmes have been good since the Pirates traded them, and says that he doesn't want Ben Cherington making trades. Mullsy asks why Cherington is still employed. A caller says that the Hayes trade was just a salary dump. Mullsy says that Ke'Bryan would be a massive bargain if he could hit at all.

Hour 4: Joe received a crucial text during the break, but was it actually a scam? Should Ben Cherington be allowed to make moves before the deadline? And Quinn Priester has been lighting it up in Milwaukee and Joe wants to know why.

What is the biggest reason we don't want the Pirates to trade Mitch Keller? Is it because we like the player so much or because we don't trust the guy making the moves? It feels more like the latter for us, but the former for fans. Chris pondered how much more valuable Keller is than a guy like David Bednar? The return could Mitch Keller could be historic, but not for the reason you may be thinking. Will the Pirates be making another move with the Blue Jays because their front office has a relationship with Ben Cherington? Pirates insider Noah Hiles from the PG joined the show. Noah is starting to believe Mitch Keller will be here after the trade deadline on Thursday. He thinks they would have to be ‘blown away' by an offer in the next 48 hours. Noah said the Pirates could look more to the offseason as a time Keller is moved when another team is willing to part with multiple Top 100 prospects. The guys asked Noah about the report out there that the Cubs would be willing to part with their top prospect in order to get Keller. Noah said the asking price for David Bednar is a team's Top 5 prospect, but it obviously depends on what team that comes from. Why did Bednar have the emotion showing Saturday night after a save at PNC Park? Is there a chance of a random trade, like the Quinn Priester one from last year? Noah could see a trade between the Pirates and Orioles even though both teams are sellers. Noah told the guys that there were trades for Bednar that got blocked by the front office a couple of years back.

Isaiah Likely was carted off the field at practice today, John Harbaugh called it a multi-week injury. Greg Newsome was also carted off the field, and his injury is assumed to be bad. The guys disagree with the Ravens being the Super Bowl favorites, according to Fanduel. They think that the Ravens will run into a wall against Kansas City or Buffalo. Pirates Broadcaster Greg Brown joined the show. Greg says that he still thinks that Ben Cherington will make a big trade before the deadline. Brown says it's possible that David Bednar has pitched his last game as a Pirate, but it's also possible that he will remain a Pirate. He also says that Bednar took PNC Park all in after his 100th save. Brownie says that he's confident that Cruz and Skenes will remain Pirates at the deadline. He also says the Pirates should take advantage of desperate teams at the deadline, and that the Pirates need a left fielder.

Isaiah Likely was carted off the field at practice today, John Harbaugh called it a multi-week injury. Greg Newsome was also carted off the field, and his injury is assumed to be bad. The guys disagree with the Ravens being the Super Bowl favorites, according to Fanduel. They think that the Ravens will run into a wall against Kansas City or Buffalo. Pirates Broadcaster Greg Brown joined the show. Greg says that he still thinks that Ben Cherington will make a big trade before the deadline. Brown says it's possible that David Bednar has pitched his last game as a Pirate, but it's also possible that he will remain a Pirate. He also says that Bednar took PNC Park all in after his 100th save. Brownie says that he's confident that Cruz and Skenes will remain Pirates at the deadline. He also says the Pirates should take advantage of desperate teams at the deadline, and that the Pirates need a left fielder. What's the Pirates best deadline move? Poni and Mullsy name JA Happ, Zane Smith as potential answers. Mullsy says that JA Happ should have pitched the Wild Card game against Jake Arrieta. Tony Watson for Oneil Cruz was a great trade, but not good enough to be the best ever. A commenter says that Austin Hedges for bonus pool money should be in contention. Poni says that the Red Sox do not like Mitch Keller. Donny Football Debrief – Poni skipped a field trip to a Yankees game in Little League, and missed a perfect game. Is Ben Roethlisberger a better quarterback all time than Brett Favre? The guys do not think so. Donny thinks Ben is around 12th best all time, while Favre is around the 8th. Poni mentions that Brees gets dinged for playing in a dome, but Favre doesn't get any credit for playing in bad weather. Mullsy says that Favre's last season was statistically better than any season Ben had. Poni says that he is going to bet on the Hall of Fame Game.

The Pirates just allowed one run in 30 innings… and somehow we're still not sure if they're buyers or sellers. On today's Bucco Brew, we break down a dominant series win over the Diamondbacks, including Paul Skenes' latest masterpiece and Andrew Heaney's potential farewell start. Then we dive into Ben Cherington's Sunday press conference and try to decipher what “building toward 2026” really means. Are the Pirates about to deal Bednar? Keller? Or do nothing at all? Plus — Anthony Murphy joins the show to talk prospect updates, including Bubba Chandler's hot streak, Cristian Florentino's breakout, and where things stand with Termarr Johnson and Esmerlyn Valdez. We wrap with a preview of the upcoming Giants series and what this week could mean for the entire future of the Pirates' 2025 season. Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at https://www.defer.coffee Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myshopify.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social

In this hour, Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson continue to follow and address the latest news and rumors around the MLB trade deadline. Also, the two react to a poem written by the late, former Pirates' OF Dave Parker that was read at his MLB Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. July 28, 2025, 6:00 Hour

Do we trust Ben Cherington to do anything of significance? Neither of us like the idea of a Mitch Keller trade because the track record for GMBC is an ugly one. Is David Bednar on the move? Who is the most famous person to check out your Twitter profile? Baseball writer John Perrotto from Pittsburgh Baseball Now joined the show. John has the feeling that the Pirates will trade David Bednar in the next few days. John doesn't think the Pirates should feel forced to trade Mitch Keller because they still have him under control for the next few years. Would anyone take on the contract of Ke'Bryan Hayes, who John tells us seems unhappy here? Poni got John's reaction to the quotes from Paul Skenes the other day, taking some subtle shots at the front office. There was an altercation in Philly today between Bryce Harper and Rob Manfred – what does that mean for the future of baseball and a potential work stoppage?

Paul Skenes made some comments after yesterday's win and Poni can't believe the words haven't gone viral. He, as kindly as possible, called out the front office for their lack of moves in the offseason. How close are the Pirates to being a contender? Why didn't they do more to make the team better? Calls and reaction to what Paul Skenes said about the Pirates front office. Pirates pre-post game host Dan Zangrilli joined the show. Dan talked to both Ben Cherington and Paul Skenes yesterday. Dan said his takeaway from the GMBC conversation is what the approach could be like going into the deadline. Dan is getting the indication that if the Pirates do move on from Mitch Keller, they may not get big league caliber talent in return. Dan explained that David Bednar could be difficult for the Pirates to trade due to his local ties. Dan thinks either Bednar or Dennis Santana will be elsewhere by the time the trade deadline rolls around. He also mentioned a few sentimental things Bednar did the other night, in the event he is traded.

Pirates pre-post game host Dan Zangrilli joined the show. Dan talked to both Ben Cherington and Paul Skenes yesterday. Dan said his takeaway from the GMBC conversation is what the approach could be like going into the deadline. Dan is getting the indication that if the Pirates do move on from Mitch Keller, they may not get big league caliber talent in return. Dan explained that David Bednar could be difficult for the Pirates to trade due to his local ties. Dan thinks either Bednar or Dennis Santana will be elsewhere by the time the trade deadline rolls around. He also mentioned a few sentimental things Bednar did the other night, in the event he is traded.

Do the right thing, and fire Ben Cherington today. Hear award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic's Daily Shots of Steelers, Penguins and Pirates -- three separate podcasts -- every weekday morning on the DK Pittsburgh Sports podcasting network, available on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/dkpghsports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Noah Hiles reports the latest of what he's hearing about the Pirates' dealings ahead of the MLB trade deadline next week. Are the rumors that Ben Cherington will be fired as GM soon actually bunk? And what power will he have to make a major deal before the deadline in the eyes of owner Bob Nutting? Are the New York Yankees making a play for Mitch Keller? Perhaps more so than the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs? What's a reasonable return for him in a deal? And is moving Ke'Bryan Hayes' contract a priority? Possible with rental options including Tommy Pham, Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Caleb Ferguson? Noah tackles those questions and more.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were just swept by the White Sox, and it's pushed the fanbase to the edge. In this episode of Bucco Brew, we dive deep into Ben Cherington's tenure as GM, and ask the question: why is he still making decisions for 2026? We also recap another brutal series loss and preview what's ahead against the Tigers. It's time to hold this front office accountable.

It's another rock bottom for the Pirates after being swept by the White Sox. Can you trust Cherington to handle the deadline? We're on Ben Cherington watch today. His contract could keep him around longer though. We react to Kevin Gorman's comments on the topics. Callers give their thought, including one who still will go to games regardless. More callers are eager to give their take on the Pirates, some are ready for Steelers season. The Steelers announced their throwback jerseys from 33. Another caller is worried about Rodgers staying healthy. Another caller is defending Bob Nutting. Others bring up the missed opportunities to add to the roster recently. Noah Hiles joins to discuss how the Pirates are feeling after the awful week, Ben Cherington's job security, can he successfully navigate the trade deadline, what type of players the Pirates could target at the deadline, could Cutch get dealt. Will Keller's value be at its highest now or in the offseason? It's almost time for Steelers training camp. Their spending on defense is in contrast to most of the NFL. A caller throws shade at Callas but he had an epic wiffleball call over the weekend. TJ Watt is 9 spots below Garrett on PFF's top 50, could the Packers be a trade partner for the Steelers at WR. Nick Farabaugh joins to discuss his take on the Steelers new throwback uniforms, what questions he wants answers at training camp, Watt's usage, which young player needs to have a big year, what will be the biggest overreactions in training camp, how bad is Juan Thornhill, which DBs could see extensive snaps, who could be next for an extension. The Sean Segment - Acuna's throw, WNBA players want better pay, Rich Hill is still going, McDavid plays beer league hockey, Erie's minor league baseball team is rebranded. ESPN ranked the best NFL rosters, and the Steelers are surprisingly low. We react to their supposed weaknesses, strengths, and X factors. What are the biggest storylines for Steelers camp - Broderick Jones, Kaleb Johnson, will there be additions at WR/safety, Jalen Ramsey's position. Johnny the Barber challenges Bechtold. Austin went to the Pirates game on Saturday and was mad about the people just there to sell their bobbleheads.

Noah Hiles joins to discuss how the Pirates are feeling after the awful week, Ben Cherington's job security, can he successfully navigate the trade deadline, what type of players the Pirates could target at the deadline, could Cutch get dealt. Will Keller's value be at its highest now or in the offseason?

It's another rock bottom for the Pirates after being swept by the White Sox. Can you trust Cherington to handle the deadline? We're on Ben Cherington watch today. His contract could keep him around longer though. We react to Kevin Gorman's comments on the topics. Callers give their thought, including one who still will go to games regardless. 

Ben Cherington tries kicking the can. Hear award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic's Daily Shots of Steelers, Penguins and Pirates -- three separate podcasts -- every weekday morning on the DK Pittsburgh Sports podcasting network, available on all platforms: https://linktr.ee/dkpghsports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices