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Pirates Payroll Still LOWER Than 2024; Where is the Urgency?

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Ben Cherington, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates lack of spending has provoked the ire of fans for decades now.



Yes, the Pirates have signed several key players to contract extensions in recent seasons. What looked like it could be an encouraging sign still has yet to come to fruition.

The Pirates gave Ke’Bryan Hayes $70 million in 2022. The next year, Bryan Reynolds signed a franchise record $106.75 million extension. Last year during spring training, the Pirates signed Mitch Keller for five years and $77 million.

That’s great. The Pirates need to lock up their core players if they want to have long-term success. But it’s going to take much more than that to catapult from the bottom of the division to their first playoff appearance since 2015.

So far this offseason, the Pirates have made two Major-League free agent signings. Franchise icon Andrew McCutchen returned on the same one-year, $5 million deal he received each of the last two years. Left-hander Caleb Ferguson was signed for one-year and $3 million.

The Pirates also made a trade, acquiring Spencer Horwitz from the Guardians for Luis Ortiz and two prospects. As both Horwitz and Ortiz are making the league-minimum this year, the salaries in that deal offset.

So, checking in with payroll expert Ethan Hullihen 0n Twitter/X, the Pirates’ current payroll is approximately $77.4 million. That’s roughly $10 million less than it was at the end of the 2024 regular season. Yikes.

For a team hoping to make a significant jump, that’s inexcusable. It’s been 10 years since the Pirates last played in a playoff game. It’s been 23 years since they last won a division title. And it’s been 46 years since the won a playoff series, let alone a World Series.

The Pirates’ window to compete is open right now. Atop the rotation is arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball. As a pre-arbitration-eligible player, Skenes is making pennies compared to his talent.

There’s one way to increase payroll and show a firm commitment to winning. Give Skenes a blank check. Break the bank for him. Keep him in Pittsburgh as long as you can. There’s the old adage of you have to spend money to make money, right?

A Skenes extension seems unlikely, but don’t be fooled. The Pirates could do it if they wanted to.

Another way to increase payroll? Spend meaningful dollars in free agency. Yes, the Pirates’ spending this offseason has been virtually non-existent. But there’s still time.

Several of the top free agents remaining make sense for the Pirates.

Even with the addition of Horwitz, Pete Alonso and his 34 home runs in 2024 would look good at first base and in the middle of the Pirates’ lineup. The Pirates also need an outfielder. Anthony Santander, who slugged 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs for the Orioles last season, is still available. Bullpen help? Lefty Tanner Scott posted a 1.75 ERA and recorded 22 saves.

Will the Pirates land any of those three players? It’s highly, highly unlikely. But again, they could if they wanted to.

Even if it’s not any of the marquee names remaining, the Pirates have holes on the roster that need to be filled. So yes, the payroll should go up, but by how much?

You would think after so much losing that the Pirates would finally get aggressive. You would think they would try and take advantage of the enormous gift — literally — they were given when they won the draft lottery that netted them Skenes.

But so far, it’s been more of the same. Even less than last offseason, to be frank.

But there is still time. Pitchers and catchers don’t report to Bradenton for four more weeks. But when they do, hopefully there are a few new faces gearing up for the season.

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