The Toronto Blue Jays had a clear approach during the 2025 season, making it evident that to contend for an MLB championship, the only viable path is investing in the franchise with intelligence and long-term vision.
However, the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates appears to hold a much smaller outlook for the upcoming Major League Baseball season. Everything suggests that, for him, there is no real possibility for his team to become competitive, because he has no intention of spending on his roster to turn it into a legitimate contender.
And this directly affects pitcher Paul Skenes, who now sees his chances of being traded to the club of his dreams, the New York Yankees, significantly reduced. As has been the case in past years, Nutting has no intention whatsoever of making powerful moves this winter to strengthen his team.
Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports made it clear in his remarks.
I know there was talk out of the winter meetings about this team going out and addressing the run scoring and trying to improve the lineup there, but at the end of the day, I don’t think they’re going to get the green light from Bob Nutting to spend the money that is required.
The Pittsburgh Pirates repeat their mistakes and will get the same results
The years go by, and the Pirates continue to fall short of winning or even hopeful seasons for their fans, let alone for the players who wear the franchise’s colors.
The team’s payroll for 2025 was $86.4 million. This placed them as the 26th franchise in MLB, and they were $20 million below the team leading their division, the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Pirates’ offense was the worst in the league, scoring only 583 runs with a slugging percentage of .350, the lowest in all of MLB. They hit 117 home runs, which ranked them 31st in the league, the second-worst mark of all teams.
The club remains one of the lowest spenders in the majors, and as recent history has shown with powerhouse rosters, without investment, there are no real possibilities of achieving championships in the near future.
In light of this, Paul Skenes told his teammates that:
(He) has no confidence the Pirates will ever win.
Given this outlook for the near future, it seems extremely difficult for the Pirates to improve as an MLB franchise or assemble a competitive team heading into the 2026 season. And with that, the hopes of the young pitcher begin to fade, as he may watch his best years pass by on a team where mediocrity remains the central theme.
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