We are taking a few days off here at “Breakfast With Benz.” But even if an off day falls on Thursday, we will make sure “U mad, bro?” gets posted.

One can’t keep all that rage pent up for an extra seven days. Especially with so much agitation bubbling up about the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineups, the payroll, Paul Skenes’ future, the Steelers’ wide receiver situation and more.

It’s my civic duty. It’d be a disservice to the region’s public health if I waited a week.

You’re welcome.

We start with our old pal Mort. He emailed with a complaint on Wednesday.

“Today’s Pirate Lineup has seven guys batting below 0.244. Why are you Trib Sports Writers not reporting these type Pirate Management procurement performance failures?”

Mort, I wrote about it. Twice … since Sunday. Is that not recent enough for you?

Jock in South Carolina says I’ve got it wrong when I say that the Steelers need a No. 2 wide receiver. But I see where he is coming from.

“Hey Tim — The Steelers already have a #2 receiver in George Pickens. They need a #1,3,4,5,6. Pickens could become a #1 WR but hasn’t even come close yet. He’ll need to grow up for starters. I’d guess getting rid of Diontae was mostly about George, but just making him our best receiver by elimination doesn’t make him a #1, nor do one handed catches. Just an unpopular opinion.”

Unpopular? To some.

Accurate, though? Perhaps.

Let me put it to you this way: If the Steelers do trade for Brandon Aiyuk, then Pickens becomes a very dangerous No. 2 wide receiver.

If the Steelers were to land, say, Courtland Sutton (or someone of that ilk) as a No. 2 to complement Pickens as the main target and Pat Freiermuth as the No. 3, I could definitely live with that.

The only point I’ll truly disagree with is the suggestion that the Steelers need a No. 4 receiver. I actually think they have about four or five of those guys already.

It’s if they try to present those players as a No. 2 to Pickens that problems will arise.

Stu is upset that I’ve been continually outspoken against the Steelers giving Mike Tomlin a contract extension.

Wow — he’s had three playoff wins since 2011. You must’ve stopped caring a long time ago then I guess.

Bruce chimes in about the Steelers being part of that all-AFC North “Hard Knocks” show this season.

“Will the Steelers ‘Unleash Hell’ in December on ‘Hard Knocks’? Or will viewers get a behind the scenes insider look at Tomlin’s first losing season?”

Well, I know they played like hell in the early part of December last year. And if we do get a “behind the scenes look at Tomlin’s first losing season,” then I can guarantee you the crew will make it look like it is someone else’s fault.

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David is suggesting the Pirates might as well just trade Paul Skenes already.

“Google ‘New York Post Paul Skenes’ and ask yourself why the New York papers are so interested in a Pittsburgh pitcher. If you look at it from a purely business perspective, trading Skenes while he is healthy will bring the greatest returns. There’s no way that the Pirates can afford to pay him and it just makes sense to trade him while he’s healthy. The last week of July should be interesting.”

The last week of this July, David?

I’m pretty sure they won’t be trading Skenes then. Check back with me in July 2029 or ‘30 seeing as how the Buccos have Skenes under salary control for six years.

Look, I get it. In Pittsburgh we all have PPPTSD (Pittsburgh Pirates Post Traumatic Sale Derangement). As soon as a good player comes to town we are now conditioned and predisposed to assume he will be sold off long before we are ready to see him go.

But I’m ready to assume the Pirates will get at least five or six solid months — maybe even years — of Skenes before he is dealt.

The Pirates got five years out of Gerrit Cole. So enjoy it while it lasts with Skenes here.

Speaking of Skenes, after the lack of offensive support he got during his start against the Rays over the weekend, I posted a column begging the Pirates to avoid going with Sunday lineups on days when Skenes pitches — even if it is actually a Sunday.

“Dewey” sent this reply.

That’s true. With the Pirates, pretty much every day gets a Sunday lineup. When Derek Shelton fills out the card, it’s not so much a Sunday lineup as it is “a day that ends in ‘Y’ lineup.”

Finally, Dan isn’t a fan of those lineups either.

But, if they do win, they all get ice cream after the game!

Just soft serve, though. No banana splits. Bob Nutting ain’t payin’ for all that!

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.