Skenes to the big leagues

[AM22RC21CR8]

Originally Posted by PDCCollectibles

I feel like they could afford it, but they won't because the owner doesn't prioritize winning first, imo. It's sad, Pittsburgh has a rich sports tradition and history, awesome stadium as well as other solid sports teams. Pirates are the same year after year with the current ownership. I'm not even a Pirates fan, lol...

The largest free agent contract the Pirates have ever signed is three years, $39 million. Reynolds is the largest contract ever at 8 years, $106 million. No way they can jump to $52 million a year and field any kind of team around Skenes.

I'll never defend Nutting or the Pirates but they can't spend that kind of money on one player.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by AM22RC21CR8

No way they can jump to $52 million a year and field any kind of team around Skenes.

They can...the $$$ from the national TV contracts ensures that EVERY owner gets enough revenue to field a $200 million/year roster and still make a paper profit.

But Nutting probably never will....he'd rather make more profit than field a winning team.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by AM22RC21CR8

The largest free agent contract the Pirates have ever signed is three years, $39 million. Reynolds is the largest contract ever at 8 years, $106 million. No way they can jump to $52 million a year and field any kind of team around Skenes.

I'll never defend Nutting or the Pirates but they can't spend that kind of money on one player.

Yeah, the Pirates aren't go to sign Skenes or any player to a contract with an AAV that is half their payroll -- the Pirates' total payroll this season is $82 million.

My guess is they'll trade him with a year or two left in arbitration -- they traded Gerrit Cole with two years left in arbitration.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by mfw13

They can...the $$$ from the national TV contracts ensures that EVERY owner gets enough revenue to field a $200 million/year roster and still make a paper profit.

But Nutting probably never will....he'd rather make more profit than field a winning team.

There was a report earlier this year that said the Pirates aren't currently profitable:

DK Pittsburgh Sports, via reporter Dejan Kovacevic, reported in March 2025 that the Pittsburgh Pirates had an operating loss of $2.2 million for 2024, a figure that does not include debt, taxes, or depreciation. This loss occurred despite increasing revenues and was attributed to high non-player expenses, a stagnant payroll, and the folding of the team's local TV revenue.

Key Details from the Report

2024 Operating Loss:
The team reported an operating loss of $2.2 million, calculated as the difference between its total operating revenues and expenses for the year.

Expense Breakdown:
The loss was driven by substantial administrative, travel, draft, and minor league payroll costs, which totaled $171.7 million, far exceeding the player payroll of just under $123 million.

Revenue Decline:
A significant factor in the financial strain was the loss of local TV revenue, which nearly halved after the folding of AT&T SportsNet, a reduction of roughly $25 million annually.

Debt Increase:
The team's debt reached a high point under Bob Nutting's ownership due to loans taken out during the coronavirus pandemic.

Real-World Financials:
The $2.2 million figure is before factoring in debt, taxes, depreciation, and other capital expenses, meaning the actual financial loss for the team was considerably higher.

I think the issue is Nutting doesn't have the financial wherewithal to field a more competitive team.

[AM22RC21CR8]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

There was a report earlier this year that said the Pirates aren't currently profitable:



I think the issue is Nutting doesn't have the financial wherewithal to field a more competitive team.

Not sure I'd put a lot of stock in anything that DK says. I think a lot of people think that was a suck up piece for the Pirates. I think the local paper had just run an article saying the Pirates only used ticket sales, concessions, etc to pay cover payroll. But I guess we'll never know unless these owners have to release financials.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

There was a report earlier this year that said the Pirates aren't currently profitable:



I think the issue is Nutting doesn't have the financial wherewithal to field a more competitive team.

This isn't true.

https://www.si.com/mlb/pirates/news/...ofitable-teams

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported that the Pirates make a profit comparable to the top teams in baseball and that they keep the money made from revenue sharing instead of spening each season.

"The Pittsburgh Pirates, according to information received by the players union and confirmed by several owners, are one of the most profitable teams in all of baseball, stashing a huge chunk of their revenue sharing monies instead of investing in their team year after year," Nightengale wrote.

The Pirates have routinely spent towards the bottom of the MLB when it comes payroll, even leading to the MLB PA (Players' Union) filed grievances over their spending in the late 2010s.

[awz50]

Originally Posted by rats60

This isn't true.

https://www.si.com/mlb/pirates/news/...ofitable-teams

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported that the Pirates make a profit comparable to the top teams in baseball and that they keep the money made from revenue sharing instead of spening each season.

"The Pittsburgh Pirates, according to information received by the players union and confirmed by several owners, are one of the most profitable teams in all of baseball, stashing a huge chunk of their revenue sharing monies instead of investing in their team year after year," Nightengale wrote.

The Pirates have routinely spent towards the bottom of the MLB when it comes payroll, even leading to the MLB PA (Players' Union) filed grievances over their spending in the late 2010s.

So, what a pirate would do