There's Nutting New when it comes to the Pirates

“But he told us we don’t have any money to make any significant additions.”

I shouldn't be upset, it's the same old song and dance, but this year, I don't know.

Every Spring I tell myself not to get my hopes up. Every year it's the same, the Pirates come out as if they were shot out of a cannon. Over .500 seems like it could last more than a few months, then they fall off. It's not a surprise anymore, it's more of a midsummer letdown. 

The quote I posted to start this article is what has got me and most other Pirate fans in a slight uproar today. In a few different sources I saw, Bob Nutting was quoted by an anonymous source that after implying we had money to spend before the trade deadline, Nutting himself "Told us we don't have any money to make any significant additions.".

So, let's fact-check this Bobby, just for fun.

According to a very quick Google search I did, USA Today published the payrolls of all 30 MLB teams. Any guess where the Pirates stand? I don't think it would come as much of a shock, but they are 29th, spending just over 85 million. The Oakland Athletics are the only team below them at just over 60 million. 

Now, money doesn't necessarily mean everything in baseball, I mean hell, the Mets who are at the top of the list were over 305 million when the season started, and the Pirates are currently battling them for a wildcard spot. Moneyball can and absolutely has worked in the past, and the Pirates are still relevant in July with the second-lowest payroll in the MLB. 

I think what the biggest kick in the pants is right now is the fact that Bob is hardly trying to make it look as if he wants to win. Signing Aroldis Chapman at the beginning of the year was the biggest hit to the Pirates' salary at 10.5 million. Most of the Pirates Salary hits are under a million, which includes the likes of O'Neil Cruz, Jack Suwinski, and Jared Triolo.

The Pirates' top three salary hits this year, Chapman at 10.5, Bryan Reynolds at 10.250 million, and Martin Perez at 8 million, don't even add up to Francisco Lindor at 34.1 million. It's sad, it's pathetic, and it's a spit in the face of all the Pirates fans out there. 

There are plenty of teams that have what the Pirates are lacking before July 30th, pitching could be a huge help and there are names out there for cheap. Garrett Crochet is sitting at 800k right now. J.D. Davis would be a great pick-up for our offense that has been struggling at times. 

The Pirates absolutely have the money to spend before the deadline and can make a run for at the very least a wild card spot. The question isn't should they spring for someone, it's will they? Bob Nutting gives me zero hope that he will make good on telling the fans “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, and options but also a timeline of when it makes sense to strike.”. But when pressed behind closed doors he says the opposite.

I have been wanting a contentious Pirates organization for years, and yet again I feel the disappointment sinking in. I hope Bob proves me wrong, I hope the Pirates sign a few players to make a playoff push, but I won't be surprised if they end up spending little to nothing per usual before the deadline hits, struggling to make the wild card at best.