Steelers rookie camp: Will Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier & Roman Wilson impress? Bud Dupree returning?

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike’s Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to preview the team’s rookie minicamp. What will the NFL draft class that includes Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Roman Wilson, Payton Wilson, Mason McCormick, Ryan Watts and Logan Lee show in their first workouts with the team? Do any of these players have a chance to start Week 1 — or at least early in their rookie seasons?

Our duo tackles those questions, plus reports that former linebacker Bud Dupree has been in contact with the Steelers about a possible return. Then later, Pirates insider Noah Hiles joins Chris to preview Paul Skenes’ MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at PNC Park.

For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.

Steelers rookie Camp begins today and that means today on the Northshore Drive podcast we’ll get you a first look at that but also talk about the Steelers history of whether rookies start or don’t start what does that say about this year’s rookie class coming in and whether or not they’ll start right away that question about a former Steeler returning and we’ve got more Paul sk’s talk from Noah’s on the Pirates beat all here in action-packed Friday Northshore Drive podcast episode from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette I’m your host Chris Carter let’s get into it you are now listening to the Northshore Drive podcast a show on all things Pittsburgh sports from the writers of the Pittsburg Post Gazette hosted by Christopher [Music] Carter hello and welcome to the Northshore Drive podcast from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Chris Carter here with with you with one of our great Steelers beat writers Ray fadoo at and here at the North store Drive podcast as always you can find our show on your favorite podcast podcasting apps and on YouTube like this video if you enjoy it subscribe to this channel to get all of the daily content that comes out from the Pittsburgh Post cette as well as the Monday Wednesday Friday episodes of the Northshore Drive podcast and a reminder this show is brought to you by Mike’s beer bar the best part all of Pittsburgh when you go to Mike’s beer bar you could sample one of their 500 different available beers 300 of those beers are from the local Pittsburgh area and 80 of those local beers are available on tap more on them later Ray rookie Camp is upon us it’s the time of year we finally get our first eyes on all the different guys now here’s the here’s the thing about it you know like you know it’s just football and shorts it’s not any we’re not going to find a thousand Revelations and learn everything about these guys but it’s our first chance and the Steelers first chance to work with them see what they got we get to talk to these guys and get a get a nice spring sense of where things are going but I I think there’s a question this year Ray is this a year with the the everyone excited about Troy falanu and excited about Zack Frasier but they think right back to last year it took Joey Porter Jr some time to become a starter it took brck Jones until the midseason to become a starter is this a year where the Steelers Buck the trend of maybe rookies starting a little bit earlier than they normally have yeah I I think there’s a great chance of that happening Chris and I think there’s a couple of factors that that go into that reasoning and you know number one what are your team needs and I you know first off when I think of team needs I think of Zack Frasier you know four-year starter at West Virginia um the Steelers released Mason Cole um in March um they’re really wasn’t another guy on the roster who ever played center on a full-time basis in the NFL you know James Daniels did it with the Bears I think three years ago uh Nate herbig has done it but never really over the Long Haul so um you know I think Frasier is gonna have a great opportunity and then the other side of that coin is you know it’s really up to the player a lot of times you know I go back to 2010 Maris fcy came in with all this Fanfare but you know Justin Hartwig was a guy who this skers won a Super Bowl with in 2008 he was not a terrible player right Maris pouncy was so good in training camp that year and he really showed himself well in OTAs and meeting camp too but it only took him a day or two in training camp until he was handed that starting job so is Troy fanu one of those guys who just come comes in guns a blazing and you know the Steelers know he he’s a guy right away or um maybe’s he’s a guy who um you know needs a little bit more seasoning so um you know when I think of Fano I think of okay Washington 30 career starts 23 years old gonna turn 24 in the fall you know there’s there there is this um you know this sense that maybe he is ready for that role so yeah again it has to do with number one Steelers needs number two is that player up for the challenge and I I think you know the Steelers have a couple of guys who could fit that bill this year I certainly do think that there’s Zack Fraser especially fits fits it fits the center need too perfectly they haven’t done any the mov they they cut Mason Cole before we even got to the combine that’s what that all of us like whoa they were a little Hasty in doing that and so Zack Fraser kind of penciled but fanu you’re right brings a whole different line of how this is going to work brck Jones one of the things about brck Jones was that he was raw coming out of college and not nearly as raw is like amarius Mims who had just eight starts but there were some people questioning like man maybe brck Jones needs some polishing and then we saw once brck Jones was thrown in on the offense that uh he made a world of a difference they went from being one of the least effective rushing teams to the second best rushing team in the NFL uh in the second half of the Season there and but fanu is coming in one thing that fanu is bringing is experience like you said he has all those starts at Washington he’s a very versatile line he’s a guy that can that can handle different roles and I think that that’s where the Steelers are very excited to get him in there also you know we’ve heard the talk that the Steelers want to move brck Jones to left tackle um and Dan Moore Jr a guy that you and I we’ve talked about it for years wondering is he ever going to move to right tackle it seems like he can’t do it I think this might be the year where brck Jones goes to left and then Dan Moore Jr has to prove that he can play right tangle and if he doesn’t Troy falanu it’s not even a matter of proving he has to prove it he does he plays it well not just play it at all but I think falanu is gonna push him there for some uh you know and I I would even give the maybe even make it a falano a favorite to start this year which you know you go back throughout the years there’s guys like Naji Harris who’ve started there’s guys like you know Maris P like you said started for when they when they came into the league but there’s been plenty of guys who you know took their time coming up into the steel into the Steelers starting lineup yeah absolutely you know you you mentioned um you know it’s football and shorts and there’s really not going to be a lot um you know to read into here certainly this weekend but the one thing I want to watch in rookie mini camp and also OTAs and in mini camp more importantly is where does fanu line up on the first day on Friday yeah is he on the right or is he on the left um you know once the full team is assembled um for the first practice you know of OTAs is is he on the right or left where is Dan Moore as you mentioned so you know the the the comparisons between we’re gonna get this lock Chris over the next four months we’re going to get the comparisons between bradrick Jones and Troy Fano but they’re really different stories I mean brck Jones is 21 he was an underclassman 14 career starts at Georgia uh phano as I mentioned 30 career starts gonna turn 24 during the season this year and um you know he he expired his eligibility he you know he was a senior when he came out so um you know it’s really different stories and that’s what I was talking about at the beginning each each player gets to tell his own story each player will dictate when he is ready and um if fanu proves himself to be a starter I think you’re very well right I think you could see brck Jones move to the left side and F fanu get plugged in on the right side uh the more delicate thing would be if fanu doesn’t show an ability to play on the right side then I I think you would see that worked out over time okay five you’re gonna go left broader we you we got to send you back to the right but that’s not going to happen this spring I think that’s something if that occurs that would be probably decided um in lro up in you know July and August I think certainly that’s part of it I want to talk about some of the other rookies particularly the third rounders uh when you look at Roman Wilson and pton Wilson uh but I I think at this point Roman Wilson kind of like by default looks like he might get a starting role in the Steelers offense whether that’s second red receiver or the slot receiver I think he has a good chance to be up in there pton Wilson won’t be a starter in my opinion uh simp because you got Patrick Queen and Landon Roberts but if Cole hul isn’t ready to go by like the start of the year which we’re not sure if he will be I imagine pyton Wilson while not being a starter will get plenty of snaps the linebacker position as they rotate guys in and out yeah so let’s let’s let’s tackle Roman Wilson first um you know what does Mike Tomlin always say in the leadup to the draft about receivers and defensive backs seven on sevens in high schools these guys are more ready than ever to come into the NFL and contribute now it doesn’t always happen that way but if you look at the Steelers receivers room right now you got George pickings and then you got a blank space at number two and then you got Roman Wilson quz Watkins uh van Jefferson Scotty Miller uh I can go on and on they got about a dozen guys who can fill out those three four five roles on this football team so um listen if Roman Wilson comes in and excels in rookie train uh rookie mini camp in OTAs this spring then maybe they don’t feel the need excuse me going to the training camp to go out and get themselves um a number two um you know we we’ll see how that all plays out but that’s one thing to keep in mind here you know the proliferation of high school football spread offenses offseason training seven on seven camps in the winner in the spring before they even get to to real football and pads um you know we’ll see where Roman Wilson is but nowadays in the NFL you’re seeing a lot of guys like him come in and contribute right away just because they have a feel for how NFL passing offenses work absolutely and I think it’s going to be interesting with with him uh you know as far as the passing offense pton Wilson uh you know as far as how he’ll rotate in but I want to get to some other topics here including a former Steeler who might have a chance to come back and play for the Steelers we’ll talk about that and maybe past guys in rookie camps who have stepped up to give you a sense of other player of players who do make their mark on the Pittsburgh Steelers by performing well in rookie Camp we’ll do we’ll do all that after this first break here on the Northshore Drive podcast but first remind you this show is brought to you by Mike’s beer bar the best bar all of Pittsburgh when you go to Mike’s beer bar they have 500 different available beers 300 those beers are from the local Pittsburgh area and 80 of those local beers are available on tap and 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heated Stone and every time you cut a piece off you just press it into the heated stone and you choose how well done you want every single bite of your steak it’s Mike’s beer bar the best bar on of Pittsburgh so so go there today and when you do tell them Chris sent [Music] [Music] you back here in the North Shore Drive podcast from the Pittsburgh Post cazette Chris Carter raay F apalo talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie camp but before we get to rookie Camp there was a little bit of a report out there Ray that are the Steelers looking to bring back bud Dupri because I think some people thought we might be might be saying cam Sutton because that’s been the big name but Bud Dupri a free agent a guy who was a first round pick for the Steelers and he he went around got paid in the NFL for a little bit dealt with some injuries but now he’s looking for a new home and honestly I thought last year might have been the case I think he was a free agent last year when they went with Marcus golden do you think that this might be a year where they go with with a Dupri over for Marcus golden or where do you see this this playing out yeah um this will be interesting I remember last year I think it was around April maybe early May um I was down the facility and you know uh Bud DUI was down there having lunch with Cam Hayward and you know some of his old friends and you know you start putting two two together you say well this this makes sense he went and made a little bit of money with the Titans you know they cut him how about a reunion but then it turns out okay he wants to go home and play for Atlanta um where he grew up so now he’s back in the same situation and uh you know if you’re the Steelers you know why not kick the tires on bud dupr um you kind of know what you have in Marcus golden Marcus golden was 32 last year he’s gonna be 33 this year played pretty much for the vet minimum I thought he was really good for his role number three number four outside linebacker gave you quality snaps when you came in um but if Marcus golden doesn’t come back I think I think dpri is a little bit younger uh maybe by a year or two and uh you know I think importantly for the Steelers they know him and and they know they’ll be able to talk to him and say Bud you’re not gonna start here we have our starters but this is your role and he knows TJ he knows Alex he was a starter here um during Alex he Smith’s rookie season so um you know people kind of panic about you know the receiver room the cornerback room uh look at the outside lineer back room last year Chris I remember being at otaa maybe even was a mini camp in in mid June Marcus golden walked on to the practice field signed his contract a little bit later and then he he was on the team so anything here with Dupri doesn’t have to happen soon I wouldn’t be surprised again if they address this later this month or even early to mid June as long as you have a number four in place by training camp I think that’s all you really need certainly I think that that’s that’s the thing is that it’s not pressing to find it now especially get a veteran and we know the Steelers they tried with like a I think it was Melvin Melvin Ingram when they tried to bring him in and then he said he’d be okay you with r he landed up that eventually wanted his way off the team because he you know Alex heith became the starter I think the other thing about drii is that there’s no Illusions maybe last year dpri was like oh I I could still start in the NFL maybe this year it’s a little bit different it’s like um uh maybe I need to just kind of realize that my role is as a rotational Edge rusher there but I mean like you go back to some of BU PR days with the Steelers there was a time when him and TJ watt were looking like the best Edge rushing duo in the NFL you go back to 2019 where uh B Bud Dupri had 11 and a half sacks TJ watt had 14 and a half sacks and then in 2020 uh Bud dpri was on his way to getting another double digit sack season when he had a season ending injury in like November he had eight sacks at the time that was a year where uh TJ watt had 15 sacks and led the NFL that season with fif with 15 sacks before he would tie the record with 22 and a half the next next year and this time around now you’re looking at Bud Dupri he’s not the same guy that he once was he’s he’s a bit older he’s had a lot of injuries piled up but now if he’s a situational Defender if you’re if you’re saying hey bud just go out there and you know work with with herbick I think that could be a really interesting fit for the Steelers uh to have as a depth option and a guy that one likes the team and you know the team the defense a lot of people who are there they’re still there like cam Hayward M Fitzpatrick uh TJ watt it’s going to be like a homecoming for him yeah he knows all those guys um he’s still hungry you know Tennessee had a couple of good Seasons when he was there um you know Atlanta was okay but he’s still hungry um to win and he’s stepping into a defense uh you know with the Steelers that uh is projected to be very good again um let’s go back to 2020 Chris if you remember bud and TJ were having great years was such a weird year with Co I mean the the starts and the stops with you know with with the cancellations and all that but when Bud Dupri got injured I think it was against Baltimore in a night game um the Steelers never really recovered from that and I understand he’s not the same player but that just shows you that was only four years ago three and a half years ago that shows you how important he was to that defense at that time so obviously there’s been some wear and tear there he’s three years older but as you mentioned if he can just come in understand his role play 15 to 20 snaps per game team up with herbig to uh you know fill out that role I think that could be a positive for the Steeler so um again I don’t know that I would be looking for this to happen this weekend um you know he had a meeting uh I think in the building with the Chargers on Thursday he’s also been talking with the Falcons about coming back as as well as the Steeler so this is something that could simmer for a while but um I do think he’s a viable option to to fill out that outside linebacker room AB absolutely I I think if I’m if I remember correctly that game that he got injured in was the weird Wednesday night game that kept getting postponed because of the Ravens uh covid violations so that was a pretty Cra Crazy situation but before we get out of here I wanted to give get some perspective from you Ray you’ve covered plenty of rookie camps plenty of training camps and you’ve seen the guys so there’s a lot of people look at rookie camp like ah this is insignificant but who are some of the guys that you remember that stood out as far as they just got rookie Camp invites they weren’t really being that to be a potential guy that was going to be to make the roster but surprised everyone and did end up making the Rost roster for the Steelers yeah that’s a good point I mean everyone pays attention to the seven draft picks and I think they got like what five or seven undrafted free agents and you know but that’s only 12 Chris they’re gonna have about 50 or 60 guys at this rookie mini camp on Friday and Saturday um and these are just going to be tryy out guys guys who come in um you know kind of their last ditch effort to to make it in the NFL before they get on with their life’s work or maybe go to the CFL and I got a couple of names for you um rookie triy out guy from West Virginia uh I think it was 2014 or so Terrence Garvin linebacker from the Mountaineers um came here really impressed got an invite to to to training camp in Latrobe and he was with the Steelers as an ace special teamer for three years went on to play for the Redskins and also the Seahawks got five years in the NFL Chris he’s going to get a pension someday and he was a rookie triy out guy so um that’s one name and of course I think the most famous rookie triy out guy duck OES right way back in 2019 um you know he comes in he kind of raises eyebrows people forget he was not on the team at the start of that season he was caught but he was brought back after the Ben rothberger injury you know they traded away Josh dos that year things were kind of crazy in that quarterback’s room but they felt comfortable enough with duck Hodges to bring him back as the number three and then we all know what happened after that he ended up starting a bunch of games on a fun 2019 season that almost ended up in a playoff birth so you know Troy fanu Zack Frasier Roman Wilson yeah everyone is going to be talking about them there might be a guy like Terence Garvin or duck Hodges who’s out on those practice fields on Friday Saturday who get an invite to the trb as well well I know a lot of West Virginia fans are rooting for Beanie Bishop to make the team he was an undrafted free agent guy that was signed early after the draft he might be one of the more favorite favored guys to make the roster from being undrafted but we’ll keep you up to date with all of that here at the Northshore Drive podcast and at the Pittsburgh Post cazette thank you Ray for joining us here to talk about Steelers rookie Camp stay tuned with all the things that happened there at post as gazette.com but first I want us I want to switch topics Paul skes did get called up Noah Hiles called it when he was on the show Wednesday we’ll get on into all of that here in the next segment of the Northshore Drive [Music] podcast we’re back here in the Northshore Drive podcast from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Chris Carter here with Noah Hiles one of our great Pirates beat reporters here for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Noah laid out all the breadcrumbs he led you right to it and then it happened Paul skem going getting called up he’s going to get his first start Saturday for the Pirates Noah you’ve I’m sure this has been a bit of a whirlwind since you know since since that happened what have you gotten the sense of just like the excitement around the ball Club to get to get this big of a name in here and as Andrew D wrote wrote for the Post Gazette this is the fastest Ascent in for a MLB debut of a of a rookie in the past 35 years in Baseball fastest uh promotion for a top overall pick baseball yes um but I mean yeah I I I think honestly Chris it happened so quickly people haven’t really processed it yet for my knowledge this was something the Pirates kept incredibly close to their vest uh I I I don’t or I’m pretty confident I’m not actually pretty confident I know for a fact he wasn’t told in front of the team there was no celebration I mean this came from a phone call there were only maybe one or two people who knew before he actually found out so this was something where they they moved quick on um and they wanted to keep it a surprise for everyone for the fans for the media for the players um and I think the the universal reaction is can Saturday just get here already you know that’s that’s the exciting part about all this I know Friday’s going to be a chaotic day because that’s when he’s going to speak to reporters and you know everyone is is writing as much Paul sk’s content as possible myself included in the meantime um but Saturday’s the day that you you want to see for everyone involved and it’s not just Pirates fans it’s not just people who cover the team or play for the team it’s anyone who’s generally interested in baseball uh you know a lot of people who love the game of baseball remember step strawberg debut you know where he mowed down the Pirates ironically enough struck out 14 batters um and this is going to be I would think probably an even bigger debut simply because this guy came to be in the social Med media era and he have he happens to date like one of the most famous social media influencers on the planet which also kind of grew his brand but I mean just as a baseball player I mean there are a lot of people who know a lot about this guy and everyone’s gonna be tuning in he’s taking on a division rival who’s currently tied for first place it’s on a Saturday which I’ve talked about before you know a lot of debuts don’t work out this perfectly schedule-wise where it’s on a Saturday at four o’clock I mean the only thing that could foil it really is rain and if the as long as the weather can hold off it’s going to be a fun one um and it’s it’s just something really exciting that I think a team that’s struggling right now definitely needed it seems like this series too is kind of a a revelation is just revealing like hey this could be the Pirates future here not just schemes on Saturday yeah Jared Jones starting starting on Friday and then Mitch Keller the ace so they paid start starting on Sunday day and it all kicks off with Jared Jones against none other than Jameson tyion who was once one of these Young Guns in in the in the in the Pirates organization this this kind of seems like a unique opportunity you know to go up against again a division rival a team that you know if they if the Pirates could just win this series don’t have to sweep just win two two of these games to maybe set a different tone for this season especially if skin comes out and just lights it up 4:05 pm on Saturday yeah I mean the p pitching has kind of lit it up already though that’s the thing where it’s like you know there there have been a handful of bad starts here and there but for the most part this has been a really good starting rotation I think they top five in baseball and quality starts uh as a rotation you’ve got guys like I mean Jones is obviously the headliner but Martin Perez has had a good season bayy falter has been good Mitch Keller has been really good as of late with a complete game being his last start I mean yeah that it’s it’s schemes was going to add excitement but he’s not going to change the direction of the team as far as bringing stuff that’s missing he’s just going to maybe give a spark where if you’re a player and you see it’s like okay like this is a move they didn’t necessarily have to make a traditional Pirates move would have been to hold him in there until June get the super two thing completed and and then you bring him up but this is a win now move they drafted a player that would in instantly come up and help them become a better baseball team last July they allowed him to pitch professionally last year which some organizations probably wouldn’t have and they brought him up after just seven starts in Triple A this season if you’re a player who’s been told by the front office by the coaching staff we’re trying to compete this year we’re trying to compete this year you see Jared Jones make the opening day roster you see Paul skes here in the first full week of May those are moves that Echo that and while I don’t think their next playoff team like that roster it’s not complete yet there are still many pieces that need to be added both within this organization and outside uh before they’re a true Contender team this is a big step forward and for the guys like curien Hayes Brian Reynolds who are signed on for a long time or even the O’Neal cruises who still have a long time before their deal expires and are a big piece of this puzzle it is something exciting that might make you play a little better and and and provide a spark to the club as a whole which is valuable because again they need it right now one thing that you brought up uh when we were talking about like what’s this going to look like when this eventually happens was the potential of having a six-man rotation and it seems like at least for this next upcoming week it seems like skin is going to be back in with a with a normal five rotation I see Keller prer Perez then Jones all lined up to start and then skin back in the in the in the rot in the rotation again there is is that something you see set in stone or do you think that’s going to be something that adjusts as as we go forward in season I I don’t know I mean I any starting rotation outline is speculation right now because I mean if you look on the Pirates website they don’t even have a starter listed for Friday so I think these are that’s just you know based off of what the current schedule would dictate but I mean there’s a chance I mean they could go a lot of different ways with this and um and and granted by the time people are listening to this we probably will know who’s starting and the Friday game but yeah there there’s a lot of different ways they could go about it they could they could use this as a reset opportunity where in one of these games they just go with another Bullpen game and give everyone a little bit of extra rest and kind of reorganize the rest of the rotation how they want I still do expect them to go with a six-man rotation for the time being um and then for the next I would say probably by the next time they’re home which would be in uh the week leading up to Memorial Day um that’s when they’ll probably determine a weekly a a week Link in that rotation that could be Quinn prer that could be bayy falter and depending on who the player is will there there will be a different move made if it’s prer he has options you can send him back down to Triple A bayy falter doesn’t so you’re gonna have to move him to the bullpen and if you move him to the bullpen someone from the bullpen got to go down or in a case like if you’re ranzi contras and don’t have any options you might just get cut so or DFA so there there is a very tough decision to be made moving forward I don’t expect it to be made Friday I think they’ll just take the easy route they’ll send down KY Nicholas uh who’s a rookie reliever with a ton of options they’ll send him down he’ll be back up in the major leagues like two weeks from now anyway um and in the meantime they’ll just run with this six-man rotation till they really figure out what they need to do because if sometimes baseball has a funny way of figuring things out on its own right someone might just come down with an injury and it’s like all right this is what we have to do uh but if all six keep pitching well then yeah they they maybe they just roll with it or if one guy starts playing poorly then you can move him to the bullpen or or do whatever you need or maybe they make a trade I don’t know there’s a lot of options I don’t think that’s the top priority right now I think it’s just getting him here getting him acclimated and using what has been the team’s strength as starting pitching depth now one of the things though that you know now skes is in the majors that’s the one that’s the one minor league that’s you know kind of off the board now who can stop worrying about but I’m sure there’s a lot of pirates fans who are like all right we’ve heard about about all the guys that are in the farm system that are doing so well who do you think is the next big name that gets called up for the Pirates to be make a difference as far as a minor to the minor to the majors type guy well there are a couple guys in Triple A who I wouldn’t say are big names but I think that could help help this team this season Jake Lamb’s a guy at first base who was an All-Star in 2017 he hasn’t a major league Allstar He’s 33 years old now he hasn’t played more than 80 games in a Big League season since 201 17 because of injuries or inconsistency but he’s currently leading all of Triple A in batting average and he’s a he’s a nice veteran left-handed bat who doesn’t strike out a lot that I think could be you know what he kind of wanted Rowdy tles to be for the team this year and I’m not suggesting they cut Rowdy ches but you know maybe he comes down with some soreness and an arm or uh you know an op leque and takes a couple days off baseball and you give Jake Lamb an opportunity Nick Gonzalez a former first round pick I mean Jared triolo is the best defensive second baseman in baseball right now according to a lot of metrics but he’s not hitting like hardly at all so maybe you substitute offense for defense at that spot giwan Bay was a guy who was electrifying early last season especially with his speed on the base paths they could probably use him at the top of the order laying down bunts you know creating a little bit of havoc on the base paths those are three guys I identify maybe La pigero as well uh another middle infielder those are four guys I identify who are having good offensive seasons and could just be something different but as far as big time hype there’s probably not going to be any more debuts to be super excited about this season next year I would Circle Bubba Bubba Chandler as a guy to get excited for he’s currently a top 100 Prospect in all of Major League Baseball he’s in double a right now pitching for the Altuna curve highly encourage Baseball fans to go out there and check him out while he’s still there because I think he will be in Indianapolis before this season ends this is a guy Carter who is I think probably the best athlete in the organization he was a quarterback commit to Clemson Pirates drafted him late uh but were able to give him a high signing bonus because they took Henry Davis with the first overall pick and paid him a lesser signing bonus so Bubba Chandler was originally drafted as a two-way player he did that for a couple years last year was his first season of being just a pitcher took him a little bit of time to figure it out but since the All-Star break last year this guy has been absolutely dominant he’s another guy who flirts with triple digits on his fastball has some nasty breaking stuff I wouldn’t put him in the Paul SK category but as far as minor league prowess not far away from Jared Jones so you’re looking at it I mean and I don’t know if he’ll be up as early as Paul or even Jared uh debut this year but I think he would be a guy that would come up next year in June July uh and not for super two reasons more just because like he needs some time he’s still pretty young um and he’s he’s another guy where you’re pairing you’re you’re adding him to the list of names right SK Jones Keller you got Johan oo coming back next year from Tommy John you’ve got Quinn prer who’s still young and shows a little bit of promise and you don’t know what else you have with Anthony salom there’s a whole bunch of names but as far as the next big time debut that people are going to go out of their way to watch or buy tickets for I think it’s Bubba Chandler and I would be willing to that it’s probably sometime next season there you have it but before next season there’s going to be some excitement this weekend Paul SK is up Saturday again Jared Jones up up Friday it’s going to be a lot of young and then you can still see Mitch Keller pitch Sunday a lot of excitement as the Pirates finish out their home stand before heading back out on the road to play the Brewers and the Cubs this upcoming week but covering you on all of that will be our guys Noah Hiles Andrew dtin here for the Pittsburgh Post cazette Noah thank you for joining us here thanks to Ray F aado and thank everyone for tuning in to the to the Friday edition of the Northshore Drive podcast from the Pittsburgh Post cazette Chris Carter your host here remember Steelers rookie Camp is going on this weekend Friday and Saturday our Steelers guys will have you covered there our our Pirates guys will have you covered on the home stand lots of action and then tune back in Monday as the Northshore Drive podcast returns to recap it all we’ll see you again next week here on the Northshore Drive podcast thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Northshore Drive podcast from the Pittsburg Post Gazette if you watch this video on YouTube please like the video and subscribe to our channel for all the sports coverage from the Post Gazette that we have to offer visit postgazette.com [Music]