GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) —Colorado dropped the final game of the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-2. Pittsburgh did not mess around. Four Pirates pitchers said, “Not today, Colorado,” holding the Rockies to just two runs. This is the same Rockies team that scored 16 runs the night before – only the second time they have done that since 2018.

The Pirates were already on a roll with three home runs and 10 extra-base hits on Saturday night. They kept the momentum going, racking up nine hits on Sunday. The real magic happened in the sixth inning. With two outs and the pressure on, Dakota Hudson and reliever Victor Vodnik couldn’t catch a break. Jared Triolo delivered a clutch two-run single, and Jason Delay cleared the bases with a three-run double – his first hit of the season.

The Rockies have not had a series win in the past five series. They look to change that as they welcome the 44-29 Los Angeles Dodgers into town. The first pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. with Cal Quantrill on the mound for the Rockies and James Paxton on the bump for Los Angeles. The Dodgers will be without Mookie Betts, who is out with a fractured hand after getting hit by a pitch in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals.

The Grand Junction Jackalopes picked up a win in the final game over the Boise Hawks, 12-9, splitting the series. Julian Boyd and Andres Rios led the way for the ‘Lopes. Boyd went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, and Rios had a day at the park, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs. Brandon Ross came in to relieve and picked up the win for the ‘Lopes, going 3 2/3 innings while striking out four. The Jackalopes return home and get ready for the Ogden Raptors in a six-game series. The first game is Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cam Heyward still have not agreed on a new contract. The team’s minicamp is completed, leaving just a brief break between now and the start of training camp. After that, the regular season will be here in a snap, leaving contract talks to wait until the season concludes.

If a contract extension is completed, it will be during this break before training camp and the preseason begins. Heyward recently made bold claims about playing elsewhere, which could apply pressure on the Steelers to finalize his new extension. The biggest question remaining in these negotiations is what will the contract look like if they reach an agreement.

Let’s start with the NFL’s current market for defensive linemen. According to Over the Cap, Heyward’s average salary of just over $16 million ranks 19th among interior defensive linemen. The position received a huge boost when the recently retired Aaron Donald negotiated his contract extension, earning himself an average salary north of $30 million.

That reset of the market led to a group of younger defensive linemen getting paid. Players such as Justin Madubuike, Derrick Brown, Dexter Lawrence, and Jeffrey Simmons all received contracts totaling more than $90 million after Donald signed his extension. They also were guaranteed at least 50% of their total contract. Heyward wants to be paid like a top-10 defensive lineman in the NFL, putting him on par with or exceeding these contracts.

The biggest hold-up for the Steelers is Heyward’s age. He’s 35 years old, and while he wants to play longer, there is no guarantee what level he can bring to finish his career. The best linemen in the league are between the ages of 25-31, with many players out of the league by the time they are Cam’s age.

There’s no doubt that the Steelers have a freak of nature in Cam Heyward, but should they pay him like he will be elite for the duration of his next contract? His performance at this point of his career is an anomaly, and the Steelers could believe that anomaly is coming to an end.

If the two sides get a deal done, it will be a compromise. Heyward can’t expect to make as much money as he’d like, and the Steelers must do something they never do: sign an aging veteran to a market-rate contract.

Some examples that could key us in on a potential contract are recent deals for defensive linemen age 30 or older. An example from last summer is former Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave. At age 30, he signed a four-year, $84 million deal with San Francisco. Similarly, DeForest Buckner recently signed a two-year, $46 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Nearly all of the money is guaranteed as well.

With all of this in mind, what will a new deal look like between Heyward and the Steelers? The length of the contract feels easier to predict. Heyward stated that he wants to play a few more years, so why not settle on a two or three-year contract? The team can structure it so there are options worked in and can leave themselves wiggle room should Heyward drastically decline.

As for the salary, that’s the real kicker. If the Steelers are willing to up his average salary to somewhere between $20 and $25 million, depending on the length of the contract, a deal will get done quickly. A new contract in the neighborhood of two-year, $40-48 million, or three-year, $60-70 million should put this negotiation to rest for Heyward and the Steelers.

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have concluded Organized Team Activities and departed for a midsummer break. Training camp waits on the other side of roughly six weeks off and later will come roster cuts as the team trims down to a final group of 53 men.

Some of the decisions the Steelers need to make will be easier than others. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s The Starkey Show that he believes tight end will be the most difficult of them all to cut down from five guys to three.

“Tight end is so hard for me to predict right now,” Fittipaldo said. “You got [Pat] Freiermuth, you got Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams and they brought in [MyCole] Pruitt, who was with Smith in Atlanta. That’s five guys right there. Are you gonna keep even four of those guys…That’s going to be hard for them on cutdown day,” he said.

Freiermuth and Washington figure to be locks to make the roster as the top two tight ends on the roster, which leaves it as a three-man race for what will be no more than two tight end spots on the 53-man roster when the time comes. Heyward has shown some playmaking flashes over his two seasons in Pittsburgh. Williams has experience in the program and Pruitt has more snaps played in the system as a former Atlanta Falcon under Smith’s coaching.

Heyward has filled a sort of hybrid role for the Steelers, at least during OTAs as the full roster gets accustomed to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s new system. He’s lined up at tight end, in the backfield and as a slot receiver at times. And even more versatility will give him a leg up in the race for a roster spot, according to Fittipaldo.

“I’ll tell you one thing – you better play special teams,” Fittipaldo said. “Special teams are going to be a big factor in that and luckily for Heyward he’s a good special teams player.”

There will be plenty of speculation over the coming weeks but no decisions until the Steelers hit the fields at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, throw on pads and get back to playing football.

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