The Pittsburgh Pirates was once winners, even when they misplaced that popularity way back.
From the time they joined the Nationwide League in 1887 via the 2006 season, the Pirates had the sixth-best profitable proportion amongst franchises that have been nonetheless energetic, in response to Baseball-Reference. Solely the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, Pink Sox and Guardians have been higher.
What occurred after the 2006 season? Bob Nutting took management of the group. Since 2007, solely the Miami Marlins have a worse profitable proportion in all of Main League Baseball than the Pirates.
The Pirates loved a aggressive window from 2013 to 2015, when Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gerrit Cole led them to 3 straight playoff berths. So no one can say it’s inconceivable for a group owned by Nutting to win. However the aggressive window has been boarded up ever since.
Issues have actually taken a dive previously decade. Three groups rank under Pittsburgh in profitable proportion, however solely as a result of the Marlins, Kansas Metropolis Royals and Chicago White Sox placed on all-time tank jobs. No person can fairly defend how the Marlins and White Sox function, and the Royals have already been again to the playoffs since they let themselves sink to the underside.
Tanking did assist the Pirates land a generational expertise to steer their rotation in right-hander Paul Skenes, who has carried out simply as anticipated after being picked first general in 2023. The Pirates nonetheless have a 15-32 report coming into play Monday, a tempo for 53 wins. There’s no such factor as a one-man gang in MLB, even when he has a 2.12 ERA with 232 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings.
In addition they just lately fired supervisor Derek Shelton, and whereas interim skipper Don Kelly looks like he is perhaps prospect for the job, what number of good gamers does he have to steer? Ben Cherington has been the final supervisor since late in 2019, and since 2020 the Pirates have gone 309-447. Solely the Rockies have been worse in that span.
How is the fast future wanting? Pittsburgh does have good particular person prospects like right-hander Bubba Chandler and shortstop/heart fielder Konnor Griffin, who’s simply 19 taking part in at Class A. However additionally they didn’t make the form of hay in latest drafts {that a} group just like the Pirates — which doesn’t spend on free brokers and hasn’t been all that efficient in participant growth — should do to win. Their farm system ranks within the center.
The Pirates use the quilt of being a small-market group in an try to deflect accountability for dropping. They attempt to mood expectations, achieve persistence and bide time with followers, and level the finger at MLB’s big-spending house owners and the gamers union. The finger is fairly crooked. Even the revenue-sharing cash the Pirates already obtain from different MLB groups doesn’t get invested into new payroll. They rank twenty seventh in 2025 in payroll and rank twenty seventh over the previous 15 years, in response to data saved at Spotrac.
Maybe essentially the most damning results of not utilizing the cash on new gamers got here from the open aggressive window in 2013–15, when the Bucs reached the postseason however fell quick as soon as they acquired there. Might they’ve received a World Collection with extra funding from possession? Nicely, they positive didn’t get there with out it. The Bucs did use the cash on gamers in a manner — by upgrading the load room at spring coaching.
Nutting has a reported internet value of $1.1 million.
The Milwaukee Brewers come from a good smaller market than Pittsburgh, but since Nutting took over the Pirates, they’ve made the postseason eight occasions and completed first within the NL Central 5 occasions, together with 3 times since 2021. For no matter MLB’s richest house owners have to work out with the less-richest house owners, competing with the way in which issues are is feasible.
Hassle for the Pirates started earlier than the Nutting household purchased a share of the group for the primary time in 1996. The Bucs have been typically decline ever since Barry Bonds left without cost company in 1993. They haven’t received a World Collection since 1979, which was nonetheless the early days of free company.
Small-market groups complain a couple of lack of equity in MLB’s financial system, and the way they need assistance to compete. OK. However the Pirates aren’t even attempting to win, and haven’t been attempting for years.
The Bucs cease with their proprietor.