MLB Insider Suggests Pirates Owner Sell Team
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates fans have leveled criticism at owner Bob Nutting during his almost two-decade run in charge of the franchise, but one MLB insider also shared some of those views.
The Pirates have a projected payroll of $89,975,500, per Cot's Contracts, which is $20 million lower than the next divisional opponent in the National League Central in the Milwaukee Brewers, at $109,141,136.
It is also the fourth lowest in baseball, with only the Miami Marlins at $68.9 million, Chicago White Sox at $74 million, the Athletics at 78.2 million and the Tampa Bay Rays at $82.9 million ranking lower than the Pirates.
Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports released a report that found that the Pirates had a loss of $2.2 million, or the difference between operating revenues and expenses.
Ken Rosenthal, who serves as a senior writer for The Athletic and as an MLB field reporter for Fox Sports, spoke on the report on the podcast, "Foul Territory".
He took issue with the Pirates losing money, criticising them for spending more money than they make and for the poor onfield product, which has resulted in no playoff appearances since 2015 and only one season with a winning percentage above .500.
Rosenthal also referenced the payroll and said that when the Pirates don't spend, revenues stagnate and called on Nutting to sell the team if he can't figure out how to put out a winning product.
“Let’s take it at face value," Rosenthal said. "Let’s assume that what he had and what those guys came up with is pretty much on the money and I would assume that it’s somewhat close. Okay, the Pirates lost a little bit of money and you wouldn’t want that, but a couple of things.
“What are they spending on? As far as renovations, as far as land around the ballpark, all these different things and why aren’t they spending money to make money. Why aren’t they running a better in the short and that is the rub with the Pirates.
“Okay, we all understand, we do, that it’s significant challenge for teams in lower revenue markets to thrive in this environment. Teams do, however, and they compete to a much better extent than the Pirates do.
“So, when you don’t invest in the club, you can’t expect the revenues to rise. They have not invested in the on-field product. They can talk all they want about infrastructure and all of that.
“And then the bottom line becomes, “Okay, if you’re losing money, if you can’t make it work, if you don’t want to take the necessary steps to invest in the product, then why not sell the team?
“And that again is the rub. If you’re not going to try, and in many ways they are not trying, from a major league standpoint, then just get out and get a new owner.”
If Pirates ownership isn't going to try, then just get out and give the fans a new owner, says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/1duK5cXUwE
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 21, 2025
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.