Is Scrooge McDuck Running the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Manager's Performance under Scrutiny as Pittsburgh Pirates Accuse Him of Squandering Paul Skenes' Potential Due to Ownership's Inadequacies
The 2024 Pirates season saw a glimmer of hope with the impressive debut of phenom pitcher Paul Skenes. With his Rookie of the Year win, top prospect Oneil Cruz stepping up, and Jared Jones flashing brilliance, it seemed the Buccos were on an upward trend. However, a disappointing start (12-26) led to the firing of manager Derek Shelton.
Skenes, in an interview, expressed he wasn't shocked by the move, stating, "Yeah, I wasn't really surprised. At the end of the day, with our record, someone's gotta take the fall. It's unfortunate it's him. But I don't think it fixes the root of the issue—we need to play better."
That's where the accountability needs to reside—with the owner, Bob Nutting.
The Pirates' offseason acquisitions consisted mainly of aging veterans—Andrew McCutchen, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham, Caleb Ferguson, and Adam Frazier. Quite the limited haul for a team that's supposed to win!
This lack of investment in top-tier talent isn't an isolated instance; the Pirates have barely shelled out for free agency contracts for nearly a decade. How do they expect to contend with any regularity if they won't loosen the purse strings and bring in some serious talent?
Nutting appears content collecting revenue-sharing money, TV income, and attracting just enough spectators (15-20,000) to games. If they manage to win 80 games, that's a victory for him. Why risk spending to win more when the profits are already secured before the first pitch, right?
Speaking of risks, it's a damn shame to see Skenes' potential being wasted in a lackluster team environment. With a record-breaking contract likely on the horizon, the clock is ticking on his time in Pittsburgh. The question is, who's responsible for potentially squandering his promising career? It's definitely not the beleaguered manager.
Small-market teams like the San Diego Padres, playing in one of the smallest markets in the league, are averaging over 42,000 fans per game because ownership has invested in making the team competitive. They're not immune to mistakes, but they're making it work with the ticket sales revenue.
When ownership refuses to invest, it takes a perfect storm of young talent to become competitive. It's crystal clear that the Pirates didn't have enough young guns to support Skenes in the 2025 season. Nutting's approach to the game is one of skimping on expenses, leaving fans and analysts scratching their heads.
Somebody needs to be held accountable for potentially wasting one of baseball's brightest prospects. It's just that the real culprit will never take the fall.
Shelton may have been unfairly dismissed as the manager, with Skenes noting that the team needs to improve, not just one individual. The Bullpen, led by Skenes, showed promise, but the lack of top-tier talent around them might have been a key factor in the disappointing season start. The Pirates' ownership, Bob Nutting, has been criticized for his approach, favoring aging veterans over investing in young, promising players like Skenes. Comparatively, small-market teams like the San Diego Padres, despite their smaller market size, have managed to attract a large fanbase by investing in their team's competitiveness. oneil cruz, jared jones, adam frazier, andrew mccutchen, andrew heaney, tommy pham, caleb ferguson, bet, baseball, buccos, mlb, manager derek shelton, paul skenes, sports, bullpen, accountability, owner bob nutting, responsibility, talent, disappointing start, pitches, career, risk, ownership, investment, controversy, san diego padres, small-market teams.
