Latest rumored Pirates contract leak is awfully convenient for Bob Nutting

Could it be? Might the Pirates and owner Bob Nutting finally be attempting to build a contender? According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Pittsburgh was in on Josh Naylor before the first baseman re-signed with the Mariners. There’s no telling the numbers the two sides posed in the talks, but considering Naylor’s contract with Seattle comes in at five years and $92.5 million, it sounds like the Pirates have finally started to pony up the cash, and Passan claims they were prepared to offer him something akin to double Francisco Liriano's $39 million contract.

The timing couldn’t be better for this news to break. Nutting got trolled on national TV the same week that Paul Skenes took home the NL Cy Young Award. The pressure is on for the team to build upon the best pitcher in baseball, and Naylor would certainly have added some much-needed thump to the lineup.

The Pirates’ pursuit of Josh Naylor may mean the front office is finally ready to spend.

The Pirates reportedly have $30-40 million of wiggle room this offseason, and Naylor’s deal would have accounted for approximately half of that. Passan goes on to say that the Pirates are pursuing Kyle Schwarber, whose annual salary would eat up the entirety of Pittsburgh’s spending money. It’s unlikely, though, that Schwarber would be any more willing to sign with the Pirates than Naylor was, but simply the attempt to sign a real difference maker at the plate demonstrates a changing perspective in Pittsburgh.

Naylor also was in the market for and received a multiyear deal. Pittsburgh hasn’t closed one of those since Iván Nova in 2016. With Skenes entering arbitration next offseason, perhaps the Pirates have a sense that their window has arrived. A big signing this winter could lead to greater success which could then draw more interest from free agents in the following offseason.

On the other hand, given Nutting's embarrassing week, the Naylor news is awfully convenient. The Pirates could make Naylor an offer with a fair bit of certainty that he wouldn't be particularly interested in it, even if it came close to Seattle's bid. But the offer alone is enough to take the heat off of the ownership and front office. Until the Pirates actually sign one of these stars, it may be best to approach free agent rumors with a bit of caution.