Braxton Ashcraft faces a pivotal season—can he finally secure his spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation, or is a bullpen future inevitable? Gary Morgan unpacks Ashcraft’s battle with repeated injuries, career resurgence post-Tommy John surgery, and the high stakes for 2026 as the Pirates eye rotation stability. With prospects like Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco waiting in the wings, the competition heats up: who will emerge as Pittsburgh’s breakout star on the mound?

Gary Morgan also tackles burning listener questions on roster moves, the impact of acquiring Joe Nixon Garcia, and the domino effect on outfield depth, including Brian Reynolds. The episode features insight on potential trade chips like Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo, weighs the value of signing Wilmer Flores, and breaks down the Nolan Arenado trade’s implications for the Cardinals. As spring training nears, the call is clear: for the Pirates, it’s time to prove it on the field.

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Tarik Skubal’s $32 million arbitration ask rocks the MLB landscape—could this bold move reset the standard for elite young pitchers like Paul Skenes? Gary Morgan breaks down how Skubal and agent Scott Boras are pushing the boundaries of salary comps, why Detroit’s counter offer signals a high-stakes standoff, and what this could mean for the future of team control and arbitration across baseball. How will the arbitration process evolve if these salary spikes become more common, and are the small-market Pittsburgh Pirates prepared to keep their homegrown stars?

Gary Morgan also explores Ben Cherrington’s checklist for the Pirates’ offseason, weighing key trade targets like Alec Bohm and Eugenio Suarez, and considers how Alex Bregman’s $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs raises the bar in the NL Central. With all eyes on the left side of the infield and Pittsburgh’s rotation depth, the race for division supremacy just got a lot more intense.

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Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Every Friday night, before the games tip off, FanDuel gives fans a new way to kick off the weekend with NBA Happy Hour. Check the FanDuel app and see what’s dropping during NBA Happy Hour — every Friday from 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern. FanDuel — the Official Sportsbook Partner of the NBA.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are moving into the next phase of building into a contender which means this offseason they must do a few things. It starts with improving the Pirates pitching staff.

Also, the second part of the Pirates offseason plan may be hard for some to accept but it is crucial. And the Pirates sweeping the Kansas City Royals has them primed to pass a key marker for the 2023 MLB season against the St Louis Cardinals.

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Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More

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The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Kansas City Royals last night after the bats woke up late. The big topic for today is why the Pirates rebuild is over. What technically is a rebuild? Gary Morgan details that and why the Pirates are moving into the next phase.

Also, why there are reasons for optimism with the Pirates and why this Pirates rebuild has been different.

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Johan Oviedo accomplished something that is rare for the Pittsburgh Pirates and MLB. His complete game shutout of the Kansas City Royals shows why Oviedo is a big part of the Pirates future. The game also showed a weakness for the Pirates.

That weakness is the Pirates hitting approach and it is time for Andy Haines to go. The Pirates lack of success at the plate with their young hitters is also a problem when you consider the Cincinnati Reds have a team full of young players succeeding.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Woes are largely self inflicted. How did the Pirates get here with Roansy Contreras and Luis Ortiz taking a step back and the rotation being largely in flux? Can it be fixed quickly or is this an organizational problem the Pirates must address? Gary Morgan and Jeff Carr fill in for Ethan Smith.

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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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What’s stopping the St Louis Cardinals from repeating as NL Central champs again this season? There are multiple reasons to doubt a repeat division crown for St Louis and we’ll tell you why! Why WON’T the Cardinals win the Central? Will the Chicago Cubs figure out who they are and take that step forward they’ve been selling to their fans? What do we make of the Milwaukee Brewers? Will the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cincinnati Reds do more than play spoiler this year? Who will win the worst division in MLB?

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Join Gary Morgan on Locked On Pirates as we break down why the 2026 Pirates roster deserves more credit, the hype around Konnor Griffin, Paul Skenes’ Cy Young chances, trade ideas, and pitching philosophy changes under Bill Murphy. Plus, fun hypotheticals and fan Q&A!

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FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Every Friday night, before the games tip off, FanDuel gives fans a new way to kick off the weekend with NBA Happy Hour. Check the FanDuel app and see what’s dropping during NBA Happy Hour — every Friday from 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern.FanDuel — the Official Sportsbook Partner of the NBA.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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