Pittsburgh Pirates: Three More Way to Open Payroll

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a small market team.  With that label, the team has to find ways to put a winning team on the field with a limited budget.

If Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington is known for one type of quote it would be something along the lines of creating financial flexibility.  The term is used all too often by the Pittsburgh Pirates front office, and it often times ends up being taken in a negative light by the team’s fan base.

While no one wants to hear that the team needs to move on from veteran players due to rising costs, it is the unfortunate truth for teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and other small market teams. While the Bucs have often been criticized when making these moves, the team’s decision has often worked out.

The most notable move was back in 2016 when the team dealt away Francisco Liriano‘s contract along with two prospects to the Blue Jays.  The team focused on getting rid of Liriano’s contract.  At the time it seemed like a bad publicity move.  However, Liriano has not really been effective since and neither prospect has made an impact.

The biggest issue is that fans see the team make these moves to clear up money, but do not always see the money put back into the team.  The Pittsburgh Pirates had a winning record last season in large part due to their youth and developing pitching staff.  The team has already cleared up to $15 million by letting go of veterans Josh Harrison and Jung Ho Kang.  Who are some other pricey veterans they could unload and clear more money to add to this young roster?