It was assumed to be a fresh beginning—a new season, a new hope, and a shot at shaking off years of mediocrity. The ballpark still stood as one of MLB’s prettiest stages, but the buzz was missing. The energy? Flat. Yet, everyone slowly began to look at the man in management with questions. Bob Nutting, long accused of penny-pinching, identified himself at the base of a backlash brewing louder with every strikeout, specifically as Paul Skenes voiced frustration.

Skenes’ fastball could electrify fans, but that spark can not hide management’s reluctance to build around him. And now, the heat is not just coming from the mound—it is squarely on Nutting’s seat.

It took less than three minutes for Bob Costas to say what the fans have been trying to say. On The Dan Patrick Show, he did not just call out the Pirates’ ineffective performance—he dismantled the excuses. “You do not have an excuse to be this bad this consistently for this long.”

Costas referenced the extended Wild Card and the relatively weak spending within the NL Central. The implication was simple: If the team is not winning, it is not because Nutting can not—it is because they will not.

This was not just a casual review. It was a direct call out on Bob Nutting, whose reputation as a frugal manager has become synonymous with Pittsburgh’s endless rebuilds. Further, the firing of Derek Shelton intensified the backlash.

When Dan Patrick mentioned that Shelton had little to work with, it forced Costas to say another tough truth: “What is the Pirates’ excuse?” Specifically, when other small-market teams have managed to identify postseason life, and that too, without top-10 payrolls. For instance, the Guardians, Royals, and Twins. Then why are the Pirates still stuck in the basement?

The most frustrating thing—there is actually a path to the playoffs. The insider highlighted that the NL Central is not stacked with financial juggernauts. The Cubs could invest a little, sure, however, beyond that? Not much separates the Pirates from their competition in a financial sense. Add in the existence of a third Wild Card slot, and you have a landscape where 85 wins can get you a ticket to October.

However, instead of such capitalization, the team is still trying to fill gaps with patience. “It is the haves and the have-nots,” he said, to which multiple fans would say: Yeah—and the team has not invested, has not got a trophy, and has not changed.

Take the reference from Paul Skenes. He is carrying the hopes of every Pirates fan, however, he can not carry the team alone. As Dan Patrick said, “Paul Skenes is not going to retire a Pittsburgh Pirate.” And that truth is palpable. If you are not willing to invest while you have generational star under control, when will you ever do?

Transitioning to the larger issue, Bob Costas’ critique went beyond wins and losses. The insider invoked history and compared the team’s situation to past league extensions. He then questioned why the city, once a proud baseball home, is now a place where stars come and go while the team spins its wheels.

The truth is, Bob Nutting can not hide behind small-market clichés anymore. The structure of the current MLB provides mid-tier teams a legitimate scope if they show focus. The Pirates have the stars, most notably, Skenes, to compete. What the team lacks is management willing to match the moment.

Cherington’s deflection and Don Kelly’s lucky break can not erase Nutting’s accountability

Despite Ben Cherington’s confident declarations, his optimism is a distraction approach than a true outcome to the team’s long-standing issues. By saying that “we do not have to squint too hard to see a better team,” he hides the real issue: The Pirates’ habitual underinvestment in establishing a sustainable depth.

Injuries to vital stars, like Endy Rodríguez and Nick Gonzales, are shocking. However, they are also expected in a grueling season—good teams prepare for that. Cherington’s public warning to the other teams is hollow when it is provided amid a 13-26 record. In addition, while his reliability in the team’s trajectory could comfort management, it does not convince the fans.

The team’s lone bright place—Don Kelly’s debut win—provided a rare sense of relief. However, it also fueled more concerns than happiness. Ending a seven-game losing streak with a gritty 3-2 win against the Braves was an approach in the right direction, but one win does not undo continuous failure. Kelly adopted the same roster that Shelton struggled with, so the outcome already paints him as a powerful savior. But apparently, that transformation is not related to the approach—it is related to optics. A well-timed transformation enabled Nutting and Cherington to transform attention away from their continued failure.As Paul Skenes pushes for enhancements and Ben Cherington distracts with hopeful assumptions, the real issue remains untouched. Derek Shelton has gone, but the environment he was asked to manage still lingers. Fans are not fooled by one good night on the field and optimistic front-office talk. Until Bob Nutting takes liability for establishing the bar so low, the brightest sparks in Pittsburgh risk being smothered by the same old smoke.

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