Pirates Executive Says Owner Bob Nutting Won't Sell Team
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Few owners are as disliked as Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting.
And it appears his run as owner of the Pirates is going to continue for the foreseeable future.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Noah Hiles reported at the Pirates' fan fest that a fan asked team CEO Travis Williams if Nutting would sell the team. The Pirates CEO responded that Nutting has no plans to do so.
Williams concluded his answer by saying that Bob Nutting is not going to sell the team. https://t.co/Xij573uftC
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) January 18, 2025
Nutting has been the Pirates' owner since the 2008 season and they have perenially been among MLB's most disappointing teams outside of a three-year stretch where they made the playoffs from 2013 to 2015. Pittsburgh reached the National League Division Series in 2013 after being the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Wild Card Game. The Pirates went on to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games in the NLDS.
Pittsburgh lost in the NL Wild Card Game in 2014 and 2015 and hasn't reached the playoffs since. In the nine years since their last playoff appearance, the Pirates have only finished above .500 once. Overall, Pittsburgh has lost at least 90 games seven times in Nutting's 17 seasons as owner.
The frustration has only grown with Pittsburgh having a solid foundation to build a good team. Paul Skenes is already viewed as one of baseball's best pitchers and is coming off winning the NL Rookie of the Year and finishing third in the NL Cy Young vote. He headlines a Pirates rotation that's brimming with potential and has a bevy of promising pitching prospects who could all make their debut in 2025.
Left fielder Bryan Reynolds is a two-time All-Star and center fielder Oneil Cruz has the potential to join that group after he strung together a solid first full season in the big leagues in 2024. Second baseman Nick Gonzales and catcher Joey Bart flashed promise last season, and third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes' is a much better player than he showed in 2024 due to a back injury that limited him to 96 games.
Still, with those pieces in place, the Pirates' lone addition has been acquiring first baseman Spencer Horwitz. And therein lies the gripe with Nutting running the show.
After back-to-back 76-86 seasons, adding a pair of proven bats or relievers could be what Pittsburgh needs to position itself to win the NL Central for the first time in franchise history. Instead, it's staying the course with having another quiet offseason and making minor additions to the team and is currently set to have an even lower payroll than last season.
And if the Pirates have another disappointing season, it won't take much thought to realize where the seeds were planted for them to miss the playoffs for a 10th straight year.
