The fans are at a breaking point in Pittsburgh when it comes to the bonehead decisions that the front office makes when it comes to making the team better. The Pirates media department recently sent out a survey to fans. One of the questions the fans were asked to answer was, “To what extent do you agree with the following statement? The Pittsburgh Pirates as an organization care about building a winning team.” Even if you’re not a fan of the Pirates, you know the answer to that question.
A laughing stock is an understatement for the team and organization, they’ve had 4 number one overall draft picks in the last 15 years. Yes, you get the best player available to you at number one but that’s not always true. In 2021 the Pirates selected a catcher from Louisville, Henry Davis, who has not shown any growth with three years in the organization.
Although the front office is no help, the on field management isn’t any better.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton is a joke, to say the least. Every season he starts on a good stretch with the team, then they do their usual mid-season collapse. But these last three years are the worst that I’ve seen. Even before the Pirates organization sees the collapses coming, they make stupid moves like they’ve been known to do. Whether it’s trading the star player for nobody or extending a coach for 5 years after starting the season.
The team was 15-7 after a six game winning streak, so the front office decided to extend Shelton to a contract of four years. This is after two straight 100 loss seasons and most likely another to come after this move. Shelton’s career record as the Head Coach of the Pirates is 294–414. Any team in professional sports would fire their head coach if their winning percentage was .415.
With all the spring training invitees and major league clubhouse, the Pittsburgh Pirates still have a lot of unresolved holes in the lineup and pitching rotation. The Pirates have gone six seasons in a row without a winning record and on top of that depressing stat the organization hasn’t won the NL Central in 32 years.
Even with the young stars the Pirates have in the organization like Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and O’Neil Cruz, they still seem to lack an identity. They also have an array of talent in the minor leagues with four players in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, Termarr Johnson (No. 83), Thomas Harrington (No. 80), Konnor Griffin (No. 43), and Bubba Chandler (No. 15). The ownership still shows no aspiration to make the team better for a playoff push.
Through out the league, teams that have been known as losing franchises have started to make the playoffs. The Orioles are now perennial contenders, the Royals have begun making a playoff push, and the Detroit Tigers held a playoff spot last season. Before that the Houston Astros lost over 100 games three years in a row and have since been perennial contenders. Why is that? It is because their front office makes smart hires and free agent moves that help the team rather than hurt the team. The Pittsburgh Pirates are the complete opposite. During the 2024/2025 free agency the Pirates have signed a total of 7 players and 2 are deserving of a major league contract.
Of those players Andrew McCutchen is the best player of the four. A 38 year old is the best signing the Pirates have had over the last 3 years. The Pirates continue to sign players who can barely hit the league average, while teams are signing former MVPs for $12 million a year like the New York Yankees did with first baseman Paul Paul Goldschmidt. Though the Pirates can’t afford a player of that caliber at a position where they haven’t had a consistent player since Garret Jones.
The Pirates in free agency are the equivalent of Enterprise when it comes to free agents. With Enterprise you rent the car for however long you may need it. The Pirates are the same way with players. Since 2016 the organization has not signed a free agent to a multi-year contract since 2016.
For an owner who doesn’t like to spend money on quality players, he sure seems to like to waste money on players that are years past their prime. The Pirates signed a 37-year-old Tommy Pham, who is at best a utility or bench player for good teams, but to the Pirates he’s a starter who will hit in the middle of the lineup. Signings like Pham are even more frustrating when big names are on the market for affordable 1-3 year contracts.
Jurickson Profar and Cody Bellinger were coming off of monster years with their former teams. Bellinger signed with the Yankees for $80 million over three years. Yes that’s a big contract, but Bellinger is a former MVP that looks to be back in his old form who plays first base and right field, two places of need for the Pirates.
On the other hand Profar signed with the Atlanta Braves for three years worth $42 million, for a former number one overall prospect in all of baseball who is also coming off the best statistical year of his career. He would have been perfect for a team that is in desperate need of help in the outfield.
When the Pirates take the field for their first game on March 27th in Miami, the Pirates will have a lower payroll then they had last year, one of the worst lineups in recent Pirate history, and the only bright spot is Paul Skenes who will be a Pirate until a big market team like the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers sweep him up for a contract never heard of for a pitcher.
