OnlyBucs

7C6C6D5A4C4C402F0 wrote: Yeah I agree that the press conference did nothing to make me think more money is coming. 



Maybe he simply forgot to tell us the good news about an increase in payroll....Communications sucking and all.....


I'm trying to find the article I read with comments from Williams (not Trevor).  The way the quotes were suggest we won't see anything changing as far as resources being pump into the product.


I think the PG has a podcast of the press conference, but I can't find it right now. They did have an article on Nutting's comments.



Asked point-blank, why not spend more, he said, “I really believe that the fundamental narrative about the economics of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the economics of baseball have been misunderstood. The narrative is not accurate. We need to do a better job of explaining and telling the story of the uneven playing field in Major League Baseball.”


This is disengenous. A "more even playing field" might get more revenue sharing and a harder salary cap, but it would also mean a salary floor in the CBA. He's not going to vote for that.



But this is the interesting quote from Williams



Williams also addressed the Pirates’ market size. Then he added a way to confront it. Remember that market score from earlier? The St. Louis Cardinals rank one spot ahead of the Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers two spots behind. The Tampa Bay Rays have succeeded despite a small payroll, as have the Oakland Athletics.


Tampa 2019 payroll (which was greatly assisted by the Archer trade.) $64 million



Oakland $100 million



Milwaukee $130 million



St. Louis $174 million



And I'll throw in



Cleveland $122 million and



Cincinnati $128 million



Pittsburgh $72 million (They maxed out at $99 million in 2016.)





Oh, and they also have a new television contract.



I'm tired of the small market poverty claim this team makes.

02252E0D400 wrote: Yeah I agree that the press conference did nothing to make me think more money is coming. 



Maybe he simply forgot to tell us the good news about an increase in payroll....Communications sucking and all.....


I'm trying to find the article I read with comments from Williams (not Trevor).  The way the quotes were suggest we won't see anything changing as far as resources being pump into the product.


I think the PG has a podcast of the press conference, but I can't find it right now. They did have an article on Nutting's comments.



Asked point-blank, why not spend more, he said, “I really believe that the fundamental narrative about the economics of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the economics of baseball have been misunderstood. The narrative is not accurate. We need to do a better job of explaining and telling the story of the uneven playing field in Major League Baseball.”


This is disengenous. A "more even playing field" might get more revenue sharing and a harder salary cap, but it would also mean a salary floor in the CBA. He's not going to vote for that.



...........



I'm tired of the small market poverty claim this team makes.


I’m literally in disbelief. That this greedy billionaire would begin this “new beginning” by deflecting all responsibility to Pittsburgh’s market size and, further, would insult Pirate fans by spinning a new narrative that we don’t understand baseball economics but he’ll try to help us understand in the future....it makes me want to puke.



THIS is how Nutting operates without having Neal to do his dirty work....an absolute big ol middle finger to Pirate fans and the city of Pittsburgh. Disgusting.

2D2A3C343A2D6A661F38323E3633713C30325F0 wrote: Yeah I agree that the press conference did nothing to make me think more money is coming. 



Maybe he simply forgot to tell us the good news about an increase in payroll....Communications sucking and all.....


I'm trying to find the article I read with comments from Williams (not Trevor).  The way the quotes were suggest we won't see anything changing as far as resources being pump into the product.


I think the PG has a podcast of the press conference, but I can't find it right now. They did have an article on Nutting's comments.



Asked point-blank, why not spend more, he said, “I really believe that the fundamental narrative about the economics of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the economics of baseball have been misunderstood. The narrative is not accurate. We need to do a better job of explaining and telling the story of the uneven playing field in Major League Baseball.”


This is disengenous. A "more even playing field" might get more revenue sharing and a harder salary cap, but it would also mean a salary floor in the CBA. He's not going to vote for that.



...........



I'm tired of the small market poverty claim this team makes.


I’m literally in disbelief.  That this greedy billionaire would begin this “new beginning” by deflecting all responsibility to Pittsburgh’s market size and, further, would insult Pirate fans by spinning a new narrative that we don’t understand baseball economics but he’ll try to help us understand in the future....it makes me want to puke.



THIS is how Nutting operates without having Neal to do his dirty work....an absolute big ol middle finger to Pirate fans and the city of Pittsburgh.  Disgusting.




yes, if he really cared about fans he would say something like I'm going to sell the team to someone who can expand the payroll and provide a winner.



Or argue with other owners about unfairness of system (is it really that unfair though if similar teams are more successful than Pirates?)



But just saying we don't have the money and we do the best with what we have is insulting.

12353E1D500 wrote: Yeah I agree that the press conference did nothing to make me think more money is coming. 



Maybe he simply forgot to tell us the good news about an increase in payroll....Communications sucking and all.....


I'm trying to find the article I read with comments from Williams (not Trevor).  The way the quotes were suggest we won't see anything changing as far as resources being pump into the product.


I think the PG has a podcast of the press conference, but I can't find it right now. They did have an article on Nutting's comments.



Asked point-blank, why not spend more, he said, “I really believe that the fundamental narrative about the economics of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the economics of baseball have been misunderstood. The narrative is not accurate. We need to do a better job of explaining and telling the story of the uneven playing field in Major League Baseball.”


This is disengenous. A "more even playing field" might get more revenue sharing and a harder salary cap, but it would also mean a salary floor in the CBA. He's not going to vote for that.



But this is the interesting quote from Williams



Williams also addressed the Pirates’ market size. Then he added a way to confront it. Remember that market score from earlier? The St. Louis Cardinals rank one spot ahead of the Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers two spots behind. The Tampa Bay Rays have succeeded despite a small payroll, as have the Oakland Athletics.


Tampa 2019 payroll (which was greatly assisted by the Archer trade.) $64 million



Oakland $100 million



Milwaukee $130 million



St. Louis $174 million



And I'll throw in



Cleveland $122 million and



Cincinnati $128 million



Pittsburgh $72 million  (They maxed out at $99 million in 2016.)





Oh, and they also have a new television contract.



I'm tired of the small market poverty claim this team makes.


That was what I was looking for. Those were the quotes that tell me nothing will change.

535B586F795C7B741A0 wrote: I just don’t get it. I mean, if I was rich enough to own my own pro sports team, money wouldn’t do it for me. When your bank account earns more interest than most people’s annual salary, whether you spend $200 million or $75 million, who cares? The only true reward in this business is what the Lerner’s experiences last night. If it were me, all I’d want is a title.



That said, I’ll be disappointed if payroll increases. They need to put a team out there next year that loses well in excess of 100 games. They need to trade anyone of value. Then, maybe, in five years, they can be competitive.


The time to increase payroll was after that 96-win season. After that, AJB was gone, Happ was gone, RussMartin was gone and Walker was dealt for Jon Niese. The FA we got was Vogelsong.



Trade the guys who have value. To me its Marte and Kela. No one in the rotation has much value. If someone knocks the socks off with a deal for Bell after that year (despite struggling the second half), do it because we aren't keeping him. P

olanco has zero value; Taillon is out so no value and Vasquez ... yikes.



No one is expecting Nutting to go full Yankee or Red Sox. We are expecting him to go full Cleveland or Minnesota. That is reasonable.