Bob Nutting’s Pirates came in last in the NL Central with a record of 71-91, but fans shouldn’t expect much help this offseason. Even though Cy Young winner Paul Skenes was the anchor of a rotation that had the most shutouts in baseball, the bigger picture remains unchanged.

Pittsburgh’s history of ownership suggests that they will spend another winter looking for deals while their franchise pitcher watches their playoff hopes fade away. Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports captured the prevailing sentiment around the Pirates’ winter plans: “I know there was talk out of the winter meetings about this team going out and addressing the run scoring and trying to improve the lineup there, but at the end of the day, I don’t think they’re going to get the green light from Bob Nutting to spend the money that is required.”

Riley’s doubts are based on solid proof. The Pittsburgh Pirates had a payroll of $86.4 million when they started the year 2025. This put them 26th in MLB and more than $20 million behind their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers. The team hasn’t signed a free agent to a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova in December 2016. They’ve been looking for deals for almost ten years, while their rivals spend money to win.

Riley continued his assessment with pointed honesty about potential acquisitions: “Maybe it’s Trent Grisham. Would that be delivering for the fan base? I don’t know. I think ultimately I think the fan base will be disappointed this offseason.”

In 2025, Pittsburgh’s offense had the worst numbers in the league. They scored the fewest runs (583), had the lowest slugging percentage (.350), and hit only 117 home runs, which was 31 fewer than the second-lowest team. The Pirates even scored fewer runs than the Rockies, who had 43 wins and 119 losses, which is a shocking sign of how poorly they built their lineup.

The offensive problems and lack of action from ownership have a direct effect on the team’s franchise player. Paul Skenes will have to wait longer for his World Series dreams to come true because the team’s spending habits haven’t changed. Sources say that the 23-year-old has told his teammates that he “has no confidence the Pirates will ever win” and is “hoping for a trade” to the Yankees.

His frustration stems from Pittsburgh’s track record: just four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since Barry Bonds departed. The franchise’s seven consecutive losing seasons represent the second-longest active streak in baseball. His frustration comes from the fact that Pittsburgh has only had four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since Barry Bonds left. The franchise has had seven straight losing seasons, which is the second-longest active streak in baseball.

Pirates face tough decision on Joey Bart’s future

The Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to decide how much to spend on offense while also thinking about cutting salaries in other areas. Joey Bart is a great example of this roster calculation. Before 2024, the catcher came from San Francisco and changed his career right away. He hit .265 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 80 games. That season, his 2.2 bWAR was more than everything he had done in four years with the Giants.

Bart’s campaign in 2025 told a different story. He was the main catcher for Pittsburgh, but he only hit .249 with four home runs and 30 RBIs in 93 games. He did better later on after recovering from a concussion, but his overall performance was disappointing. Evaluators haven’t been impressed with his defensive work behind the plate either, which raises questions about how well he will fit in the long term.

The Pirates have a lot of depth in their catching, which makes things even harder for Bart. Henry Davis and Skenes work together to give great defense, while Rafael Flores and Endy Rodríguez are cheaper options. Pittsburgh is now deciding if Bart’s projected arbitration salary of $2.7 million is enough to keep him.

That choice shows the franchise’s bigger problem. Do they keep the veteran depth piece or trade him to teams that are looking for help catching? Even $2.7 million is a big commitment for a team that hasn’t signed a free agent for more than one year in almost ten years.