Athletics signing Luis Severino puts spotlight on Pirates for free agency woes

Each year, December brings the hustle and bustle of the MLB Winter Meetings, the highlight of baseball's offseason – unless you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As trades, free agent signings and contract negotiations abound during the annual gathering of MLB front office executives, players and agents, the Pirates usually remain pretty quiet. After all, if you're not willing to spend money, there's not much for you to do at the Winter Meetings, anyway.

The Pirates had the second-smallest payroll in baseball in 2024, and that's nothing new. On an almost certainly related note, the Pirates haven't made the playoffs in nearly a decade. Much of the blame for the team underperforming falls squarely on owner Bob Nutting's stinginess in free agency, but it can also be attributed to decision making in the front office.

The largest free agent deal in Pirates history was awarded to Francisco Liriano (three years, $39 million) prior to the start of the 2015 season. Even then, he was traded in a salary dump the following year.

Since Ben Cherington took over as general manager five years ago, the Pirates have yet to sign a single free agent to a guaranteed, multi-year contract, choosing to focus instead on drafting and developing homegrown talent (and saving money in the process). And while homegrown talent matters, it's not enough to win in today's MLB. The Pirates need to spend in free agency, and it needs to start now.

Athletics signing Luis Severino puts spotlight on Pirates for free agency woes

No one is suggesting that the Pirates go out and spend north of $700 million on a single player like the New York Mets did with Juan Soto, but they can absolutely invest wisely in players who will provide meaningful, long-term upgrades to help this roster be competitive.

Take, for example, the former Oakland A’s; they were the only team with a payroll smaller than Pittsburgh's last season, which is understandable given the team's struggles and the ongoing saga around their home ballpark and potential relocation. Even with the team slated to play in a 10,000-seat minor-league stadium in Sacramento over the next couple of seasons while they wait for their new stadium to be built in Las Vegas, they still managed to land coveted free agent starting pitcher Luis Severino with a three-year, $67 million contract that makes the Liriano contract from 2015 look like pennies.

If the homeless A's can shell out the necessary funds to land a consensus top arm in free agency, there is no excuse for the Pirates not to spend wisely on an impact bat in the form of a first baseman or a corner outfielder. Nutting and Cherington can continue to make all the front office and coaching hires they want, but nothing will change until they invest in the personnel on the field.

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