In Monday’s “First Call,” a second wave of conversation about Dak Prescott joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 is washing ashore. There may be a market for Brandon Aiyuk’s salary demands outside of San Francisco. The Pirates’ pitching rotation left an impression on Tampa Bay’s manager.
And Tyler Glasnow keeps racking up the strikeouts.
Dak Dahntahn?
Back in March, the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen speculated that the Steelers might be a good fit for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in 2025.
Now, former Steelers beat reporter Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com is advancing that conversation even more.
Fowler, currently with ESPN full-time on a national level, was on the “NFL on ESPN” YouTube channel last week with Kevin Clark. And as they were discussing where Prescott may land in the future if he doesn’t stay in Dallas, Fowler brought up the Steelers.
“I’m thinking of Pittsburgh,” Fowler said on the “This is Football” show. “Russell Wilson, he may play great. But he’s on a one-year, $1 million minimum deal. And Justin Fields doesn’t have his fifth-year option picked up. Maybe (Prescott) is a long-term answer.”
Via CBSSports.com, Prescott is owed more than $55 million in 2024 as part of a four-year, $160 million extension he signed in 2021. His deal also includes no-franchise-tag and no-trade clauses. That means if another team ahead of the trade deadline this fall doesn’t have enough assets — and likely money for an extension — the ninth-year veteran will hit free agency after the 2024 campaign.
Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He threw for 4,516 yards and completed 69.5% of his passes.
On a different matter …
Also on that program, Fowler discussed the Brandon Aiyuk contract saga in San Francisco. The Steelers are one of many teams that have been linked to the 49ers as a potential trade target if the Niners decide to trade Aiyuk before the season starts.
Aiyuk is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and he wants an extension, reportedly in the $30 million range. San Francisco management reportedly doesn’t want to go north of $26 million.
However, Fowler insists that some teams in the NFL would be willing to meet Aiyuk’s contract demands.
“They had some trade opportunities around the draft, and I think there are other teams that are willing to pay him what he wants,” Fowler said. “I do believe that. Maybe not for a first-round pick in a trade, but I think they would do it under certain circ*mstances.”
Fowler didn’t specify if the Steelers would be one of those teams willing to match that price. According to OverTheCap.com, the Steelers have $15.9 million in cap space. Aiyuk is slated to make $14.1 million on his fifth-year option.
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High praise
Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes certainly left an impression on Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash.
“That guy’s pretty legit,” Cash said of Skenes via MLB.com. “(Skenes) is really talented.”
That was after Cash’s team beat the Pirates, 3-1, on Sunday. But aside from Yandy Diaz’s leadoff homer, the Rays weren’t able to score another run off of the rookie right-hander over seven innings. The former No. 1 overall pick struck out eight Rays along the way and walked just one while allowing six hits.
That effort followed Jared Jones beating the Rays, 4-3, on Saturday. The fellow rookie right-hander also totaled eight strikeouts in seven innings while allowing just two runs, three hits and three walks.
“The last two guys that they’ve had, they’re as good a 1-2 combination as we’ve maybe seen this year,” Cash said.
Unless the Pirates alter their rotation, Jones and Skenes will next pitch back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in Atlanta.
Very much the same
Despite dropping two of three to the Rays, the Pirates (37-40) emerged from the weekend in a very similar spot as to where they began. They remain in third place of the National League Central, 7.5 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, just as they were when play started Friday.
They dropped a game when it came to the race for the final wild-card spot. The Buccos are now a game and a half off of that pace, with the Padres currently holding it at 41-41.
Up next, the Pirates will go to Cincinnati for three games. The Reds are in the cellar of the NL Central at 36-41. Since losing two of three at PNC Park early last week, the Reds went home to host the Boston Red Sox and dropped two of three there as well.
The most recent loss was a 7-4 decision on Sunday thanks, in part, to Jarren Duran going 3 for 5 with two RBIs.
Career-long 13-game hitting streak for Jarren Duran! #RedSox pic.twitter.com/HaawVSlaMa
— NESN (@NESN) June 23, 2024
Bailey Falter (3-5, 3.74 ERA) pitches the opener for the Pirates against Cincy’s Carson Spiers (0-1, 3.20).
‘Glas’ is shattering
Former Pirate Tyler Glasnow continues to mow down opposing hitters.
Over the weekend, the right-hander of the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the local rival Los Angeles Angels and picked up 10 more strikeouts in seven innings.
Nine up.
Nine down.Tyler Glasnow comes out of the gate firing ???? pic.twitter.com/WL4WfLv55A
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2024
The Dodgers went on to win 7-2. Glasnow got the victory to improve to 8-5. He lowered his ERA to 2.88. His 135 strikeouts lead Major League Baseball.
On the topic of ex-Pirates fireballers, Gerrit Cole makes his second start of 2024 since coming back from an elbow injury on Tuesday for the New York Yankees when they have a Subway Series matchup with the New York Mets.
Cole absorbed a no-decision in his first start last week against the Baltimore Orioles. He struck out five, walked one and allowed two earned runs in four innings pitched.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
