Pittsburgh Pirates: Actually Spend and Make the 2023 Team Better

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been relatively active so far this offseason. However, if they truly want to take a step forward they need to get aggressive.

Over the last two seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates have suffered 100 losses. We as fans of the team have also suffered through those games. Unless Bob Nutting or anyone from the Front Office has their head in a hole, then they have to know people are not happy. Fans are sick of dealing with the lackluster product being put out each year.

I have always tried to be patient and optimistic regarding the process. I understand the positives and negatives of a potential Bryan Reynolds decision. However, what I do not understand is the lack of meaningful spending elsewhere. If the team does not want to extend and player on a big contract into his mid-30s, that is fair. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a small market team and if this is their plan on how to keep competitive (similar to the Rays) then so be it.

What is frustrating is when there are glaring holes in the Pittsburgh Pirates roster. Yet again we are seeing those holes filled with veteran players who likely will not be here past 2023. The team picking up Carlos Santana and Ji-Man Choi is fine. Creative spending to fix first base until a prospect is ready. They could have also been more aggressive and offered up more than a measly $6.7 million to Santana.

However, bringing in pitching was viewed as something even more important. So far the team has brought in 3 arms to help out in 2023. This includes veteran Vince Velasquez, former Giants reliever Jarlin Garcia, and Rule V pick-up Jose Hernandez.

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

All three of these players will make a combined $7 million or so. Three pitchers, who are expected to be on the team in 2023 signed for only $7 million dollars. Meanwhile, it was reported that the team had an interest in signing Kyle Gibson and/or Jose Quintana. Gibson signed for 1 year, $10 million while Quintana received a 2-year deal for $13 million a year.

Both of those numbers are higher than what they have spent altogether. Now could those three players work out and be productive? Sure, but the point still remains that Bob Nutting and the Front Office are still not serious about improving this ball club. In fact, Ben Cherington kind of admitted to that earlier in the week. Jason Mackey tweeted the quote earlier in the week:

GM ben Cherington also said the Pirates have the ... ugh, financial flexibility to add multiple starting pitchers. "I don’t know if we will, but we could if we wanted to or the right matches lined up."
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 6, 2022

This is an actual quote from the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Did he mean it the way it sounds? Who knows, but this is an odd response by Cherington. Everyone knows the Pittsburgh Pirates are cheap, but it has always been assumed that was coming from the Owner. This suggests that the team does indeed have money spent, probably significant money.

Yes, the quality of players that the Bucs have brought in is higher than those signed in previous offseasons. Still, it is not meaningful money that is being spent. This is buying low on potential impact players, instead of buying impact players. Until the Pittsburgh Pirates go out and sign a player coming off just a normal season for once. It doesn’t even have to be a great season, just a legitimate established player. The Pittsburgh Pirates need to be better, now it is time to start spending.

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