Joe Starkey: Pittsburgh desperately needs the Pirates right now. Is anybody home?

Joe Starkey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 24, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — Be careful what you wish for.

I’m still reeling from the fact that Andrew McCutchen spoke those words at PiratesFest last weekend, in defense of team owner Bob Nutting — the man who didn’t have the guts to take questions during the “Ask Pirates Management” session, instead putting human shield/CEO Travis Williams in front of fans, alongside manager Derek Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington.

Be careful what you wish for?

That assumes fans could do worse than Nutting as steward of the franchise, to which I would respond with a one-word question: how?

By having an owner who moves the team out of Pittsburgh? I guess, but I’ve heard people say that if losing the Pirates meant no more Nutting, they’d sign up on the hope that the team would return one day, a la the Cleveland Browns.

That’s how bitter and despondent some have become. And every time they turn around, the Pirates are kicking them in the groin again. In the midst of this embarrassingly quiet offseason, in which it looks like their paltry payroll from 2024 might be reduced, they have to listen Williams gaslight them with statements like this:

“We know there’s frustration — frustration because we are not winning, with the expectations of winning. At the end of the day, that’s not due to lack of commitment to want to win.”

No, that’s exactly what it’s due to, Travis, although the phrasing there is interesting. I’m sure Nutting wants to win. I wanted to marry Jennifer Aniston. What’s he doing about it?

The answer, as always, is Nutting.

But here’s the thing that makes this year different: Pittsburgh desperately needs the Pirates right now. The Steelers and Penguins do not win big games anymore. Nobody considers them contenders. It’s about time the Pirates pulled their weight and built around sensational pitcher Paul Skenes. This is their chance to play hero.

It’s also a chance to rake in some revenue. Nutting sees dollar signs everywhere. Does he not see them here? People are dying for a winner. It wouldn’t take much to stoke the excitement, which would in turn stimulate the cash flow. The slightest hint of want-to would do.

Is anybody home?

Hello?

This line from Bleacher Report doesn’t exactly speak to the “commitment” Williams speaks. of: “The Pirates have been bottom-five in payroll in 11 out of the last 14 seasons. They are projected to continue the trend in 2025, with a payroll currently sitting at $64.2 million.”

Pirates fans don’t wish for much. These are among their very reasonable requests:

— The team’s first playoff series win since 1979.

— The team’s fifth winning season in 33 years.

— The team’s first division title since 1992.

— The team’s first playoff appearance in a decade.

— The team at least pretending to try to maximize a small window of opportunity with one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball history.

— At least one proven player in his prime to add to last year’s horrendous lineup.

— At least one hitting prospect to rise through the system and reach the major leagues.

— A bullpen.

— An owner who actually puts action behind his alleged desire to compete.

This offseason has been a sick joke. Reasonably priced impact hitters such as Joc Pederson were there for the taking. The Pirates did nothing, aside from trading for unproven, 27-year-old first baseman Spencer Horwitz and bringing back McCutchen, who might be their 38-year-old cleanup hitter.

Imagine what Skenes thinks of this. The Pirates actually had a more eventful offseason last year, signing fireballer Aroldis Chapman to a $10 million deal.

Nobody’s asking for Juan Soto. Nobody expects or demands that, which is why McCutchen’s other notable quote seemed so off-tune.

“We’ll never be the Dodgers as long as this franchise is the way it is,” McCutchen said. “The Pirates have never been that. They’ve never been a big-spending team like the Dodgers or the Yankees. But David did beat Goliath, if I’m not mistaken. We’ve just got to be like David.”

The Pirates aren’t the Dodgers. We get it. But they could certainly be the Guardians or Brewers when it comes to spending. Instead, those teams are spending tens of millions more. Nutting simply will not budge. He seems to be getting cheaper by the minute.

The Pirates are showing more commitment to getting their hands on that one-of-a-kind Skenes card than to shoring up their pathetic lineup. Part of their offer to the fan who found the card is 30 years of season tickets behind home plate.

Is that a promise or a threat?