Pirates fans assumed Ryan O’Hearn’s signing would be Bob Nutting’s final move before the season. Turns out, they were wrong. Nutting has taken plenty of heat for years over the team’s low payroll, with many believing it wasted elite pitching talent like Paul Skenes. However, the tone in Pittsburgh is shifting now. GM Ben Cherington has made it clear the Pirates aren’t done.

“Ideally, we would add in some form to both the starting group,” Cherington said on the MLB Network Radio. “The starting pitching group, and the bullpen group. And also at least one more position player. It could be on the left side of the infield. We’ve got Triolo, who took a step forward last year, and we love it. We have a lot of confidence in Tri, whether it’s at short or third, or in a multi-position player role. We’ve got other guys who certainly can play the left side of the infield.

Nick Gonzalez has bounced over there. We’ve got a really good younger prospect shortstop we’re excited about. At some point, we’ll impact the team.” 

This urgency makes perfect sense. Under Bob Nutting, the Pirates have consistently ranked near the bottom of MLB payrolls, a reality many believe has kept the team stuck in mediocrity and wasted its elite talent. The clearest example came in 2025. Paul Skenes delivered a dominant, Cy Young-caliber season with a 1.97 ERA over 32 starts, yet finished just 10–10 because the offense rarely showed up. Pittsburgh finished the year 71–91 and last in the NL Central.

It sparked major criticism from insiders like Jeff Passan and familiar “Sell the team, Bob” chants from fans worried that Skenes’ years were slipping away. Now, the Pirates finally look aggressive. They added second baseman Brandon Lowe on December 19, a two-time All-Star coming off a 31-homer season who brings much-needed left-handed power. His arrival pushes Nick Gonzales out of an everyday role, likely into utility duty. Ryan O’Hearn followed on a two-year, $29 million deal.

An All-Star in 2025, O’Hearn adds another lefty bat and lineup flexibility. The Pirates also boosted their future by acquiring top-100 outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from Boston in December. All of it points back to Skenes. The goal is to score more runs when he pitches. The front office isn’t done, either. Third base remains a need after trading Ke’Bryan Hayes, with Eugenio Suárez emerging as the top target. Coming off a 49-homer season, Suárez would be a massive offensive boost.

If that happens, Jared Triolo could shift to shortstop, where the team trusts his defense. He was excellent at third base in limited time, posting +7 DRS and +4 Outs Above Average. Pittsburgh is also expected to add a veteran left-handed starter for rotation depth, which is why names like José Quintana, Tyler Anderson, and Martín Pérez are in the mix. For the first time in a while, it feels like the Pirates are finally trying to make the most of their window.

The main issue with Bob Nutting 

Bob Nutting earns the label of MLB’s worst owner due to chronic underinvestment in the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates’ 2025 payroll hovered around $84–87 million, the second-lowest in MLB behind Oakland, costing roughly $1.189 million per win. In 2020, it plunged to a record-low $54 million, per AP analysis, even as revenues from ticket sales and broadcast deals soared without reinvestment.

Nutting has repeatedly denied front-office pleas for payroll increases, leaving stars like Paul Skenes without proper offensive support. Since 2015, Pittsburgh has posted zero winning seasons, combining on-field losing with fan frustration, including empty promises of future spending. Critics like Robbie Hyde have called him “one of the worst owners in sports” for failing to build around young talent.

Rumors of pursuing Kyle Schwarber, who hit 56 home runs with 132 RBIs in 2025, briefly gave fans hope. But Nutting’s history quickly extinguished it. His most expensive free-agent deal ever was Francisco Liriano’s $39 million contract in 2014. A $30–35 million-per-year pact runs counter to Nutting’s philosophy, mirroring past refusals to address even modest offensive needs. Until he shifts from revenue hoarding to prioritizing winning, as teams like the Brewers or Guardians have done with similar budgets, the Pirates will remain irrelevant.

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