The Pittsburgh Pirates Are In Playoff Contention, And Their Owner Doesn’t Seem To Care

The Pittsburgh Pirates have never been known as one of Major League Baseball's biggest spending teams. Over the past six seasons, their highest payroll figure is just $84 million. Shohei Ohtani by himself is making $70 million, though with most of it deferred.

In most years, that lack of spending is irrelevant, considering the Pirates have yet to develop a consistent, quality farm system and competitive major league team. in 2024 though, thanks to the expanded Wild Card format, the debut of superstar starter Paul Skenes and solid seasons from Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales and Mitch Keller, the Pirates are right on the fringes of contention.

Entering Tuesday, the Pirates are just four games out of a playoff spot at 43-47. With crowd sizes swelling thanks to a resurgent team, and the rewards of making the postseason, seems like a perfect opportunity to add more talent and make a run, right?

Well, not exactly, thanks to Pirates ownership.

Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes pitches against the San Francisco Giants in May at PNC Park. Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates Owner Makes ‘Misleading’ Comments About Future Plans

Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in public remarks last month that he had given the front office license to add payroll with new acquisitions.

"I’m not at all sure that we won’t have opportunities well in advance of the deadline," Nutting said. "I think we should be prepared to move early. I think we should be prepared to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I know Ben has that flexibility to look across a broader range of alternatives, options but also a timeline of when it makes sense to strike."

But a new report from Pittsburgh Baseball Now says that's not an accurate representation of what ownership's told the front office internally. According to their sources, those remarks made the baseball operations department "furious," saying they were "misleading, at best."

"Bob implied we’re going to have money to spend, and he got the fans excited," the source said. "But he told us we don’t have any money to make any significant additions."

Per Fangraphs, the Pirates have just an eight percent chance of making the postseason. But for fans of an organization that hasn't made the playoffs since 2015, who finally have a top prospect living up to expectations with Skenes, any possibility is worth pursuing.

The Pirates have just an $84 million estimated payroll this year. And with millions pouring in from television revenues and increased ticket sales, there's clearly room to invest more heavily in the roster. Nutting though, doesn't seem interested in doing so. And why would you, when attendance is increasing just on the possibility of a playoff run?

Sure, there are clear needs for the Pirates to address: more hitting depth, another starter, and back end bullpen help. But that only matters if winning is the primary goal, not turning a higher profit. Three guesses which one Pirates ownership has consistently prioritized.