For the past 10 years the Pittsburgh Pirates have been among the worst teams in Major League Baseball. The Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2013, and they haven’t won a playoff series since 1979.
The sole shining moment for the Pirates came in 2013 when they defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Game before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series. The Pirates made appearances in the NL Wild Card in 2014 and 2015, losing both. That was 10 years ago.
The Pirates entered the 2025 season with the 5th lowest payroll in MLB. In a season where they were poised for success from a strong starting rotation headlined by Paul Skenes, the Pirates continued to disappoint fans by signing journeymen when they needed offensive talent.
Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier headlined their free agent class. Pham is currently hitting .178 with only 9 RBI’s. Frazier is 34 and his prime is far behind him. Frazier hasn’t had an average over .240 in the last five seasons.
Worse, the Pirates’ front office refuses to take any accountability. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pirates’ owner Bob Nutting said, “I think that I’ve done everything that I can to provide the tools and resources to the team.” Pirate fans should take this as the ultimate insult from Nutting. I’m not sure if Nutting is that ignorant or if he is just a compulsive liar. Either way it is an unacceptable way to run a team.
For a while Pirate fans vocalized their displeasure. During the home opener Bob Nutting walked PNC Park’s rotunda in the early inning to be greeted with boos and “sell the team” chants.
The growing frustration continued into April when a Roberto Clemente logo was removed from PNC Park’s right field wall and an advertisement replaced it.
Just as it seemed things couldn’t get worse for the Pirates, the case of the Bucco Bricks came about. Bricks bought by fans which had names or personal messages on them when PNC Park was being constructed were removed and the space was filled in with concrete. The bricks were found in a dump.
But why does any of this matter? The Clemente sign in right field went unnoticed for multiple games. The absence of the Bucco Bricks wasn’t noticed until a fan saw them discarded in a dump.
The organization has so many problems that these two issues shouldn’t even crack the top 50.
It’s pathetic that this is what the season has come to, and it’s only May. But forget the signs and bricks. Who cares? The Pirates are perennial bottom feeders of the MLB, and the fans are worried about signs and bricks? It’s time for Pirates fans and front office members to wake up.
The Pirates need to fix the product on the field by making moves to better their roster. Look at the first place Chicago Cubs as an example.
They traded OF Cody Bellinger who had a .287 average from 2023-2025. The Cubs then acquired an NL MVP candidate in Kyle Tucker. The Cubs sent IF Isaac Paredes, RHP Hayden Wesneski, and 3B Cam Smith to the Astros for Tucker. The Cubs weren’t afraid to take a risk and trade someone with potential and it’s paying off for them.
We’ve seen this time and time again. Look at the 2013 Pirates. The team was full of potential and the front office chose to hoard prospects that have not panned out. The front office chose to trade for budget bats whenever they were in need of a power hitter to compliment the then National League Most Valuable Player, Andrew McCutchen. With Giancarlo Stanton on the trade block, Pittsburgh had a golden opportunity to trade for a premier power hitter.
Instead of pursuing Stanton, the Pirates acquired Marlon Byrd and John Buck from the New York Mets. The Pirates chose to hoard prospects like Jameson Taillon, Alen Hanson, and Gregory Polanco instead of acquiring an elite hitter. The three prospects combined for a 12.3 WAR with the Pirates and combined to play only 12.5 seasons with the team. Stanton on the other hand went on to win the N.L. MVP award in 2017, as well as winning 2 silver sluggers, appearing in 5 All-Star Games, and racking up a 44.9 career WAR.
This ideology has failed time and time again for this franchise. As fans, why do we still accept it? The Pirates weren’t signing Juan Soto this off-season, but there were options who could have made an impact without breaking the bank. Austin Hays signed a 1-year, $5,000,000 contract with the Reds this offseason,. Hays is hitting .365 with 5 home runs. The Pirates gave Tommy Pham $4,000,000 to barely hit above .100.
If the Pirates were 10 games above .500 do you think these bricks would matter? If the Pirates traded for Cody Belliger would the fans cry and complain about signage around the stadium? If the average attendance was 35,000 would the front office care about bobbleheads?
It’s time for Pirate fans to stop worrying about the things that have no effect on the team on the field. Stop overhyping prospects. Stop viewing those same prospects as untouchable trade pieces. Successful teams take risks in trades and free agency.
It’s time for Bob Nutting to commit to success. Make a trade that address a need. Spend money in free agency. We’ve seen what a playoff atmosphere could look and feel like back in 2013. The city of Pittsburgh’s baseball fans deserve better.
