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The Pittsburgh Pirates want to compete. It was clear by their offseason spending spree to fix 2025's league-worst offense, and that high level of investment worked.
Entering play on July 21, the Pirates rank second in the league in runs scored with 538 after scoring a total of 583 the entirety of last season. The plan for the trade deadline is to aggressively buy as well, but with one caveat: they don't want to raise payroll, per Bob Nightengale.
It's a sentence that doesn't make sense, and one that shows that maybe Bob Nutting hasn't turned over a new leaf after all. The Pirates desperately need bullpen help. They're 19 for 36 in save opportunities, which comes out to a brutal 52.8% success rate. They could also use help in the starting rotation, and maybe an offensive upgrade on the left side of the infield.
Nightengale doubled down on this intel during an appearance on Foul Territory TV, speculating that the Pirates could try to trade Oneil Cruz to fill other holes on the roster. He concluded by saying, "I think the mandate from ownership is doing what it takes to be in the playoffs, but not jumping up that payroll anytime soon."
It's such a contradiction to say they're going to do "whatever it takes" but then also say they won't "raise payroll." The most common trade deadline mechanic for a contender is to swap prospects for veterans, which inherently adds payroll.
If it's true that the Pirates are unwilling to add payroll, they shouldn't be buyers at the trade deadline
There's a school of thought that says that Pittsburgh isn't close enough to being a true contender to justify buying at the trade deadline. If the organization feels this way, it would be unfortunate and a little frustrating, but it would be understandable.
But to say you're going to be aggressive while not adding payroll isn't just an oxymoron; it's moronic. It's insulting to the fans and just incredibly unrealistic. It hits even harder in light of the news that they saved nearly $4 million between the Joey Bart trade and the slot value of the comp pick they traded away.
Fortunately, there are some who refute Nightengale's report. Pirates insider Jason Mackey concurs that the Pirates will be aggressive at the deadline, but doesn't know where the idea that they won't add payroll comes from. 93.7 The Fan's Jeff Hathhorn says the Pirates are not restricting payroll.
There's a very good chance that the local guys are right. They're more plugged into team sources than a national writer like Nightengale. It's all very curious, though, and understandably is very annoying to the fanbase.
The fact of the matter is that the Pirates need to pick a lane. Either they're buying and accepting everything that comes along with that strategy, or they are standing pat and not adding payroll. There is no middle ground. Ben Cherington and Bob Nutting need to make a decision and stick to it.
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This article was originally published on rumbunter.com as Pirates' aggressive trade deadline plan already has an infuriating contradiction.
