The Pirates Are Facing Political Pressure to Play Better

The hype, both in Pittsburgh and nationally, continues to build rapidly around Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes (above). But as the MLB club approaches the start of lease renewal negotiations for the publicly owned PNC Park, some Pennsylvania legislators are still unhappy.

As the Pirates are still three games under .500 entering Friday’s game at the White Sox and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2015, Republican state representatives Tim Bonner and Jim Gregory are arguing those losing ways are depressing taxpayers’ investment in the ballpark.

The pair requested a report on the team’s fiscal impact from the state’s Independent Fiscal Office, which has been published and estimated that if the Pirates won just three additional games per year, gross fan spending would increase by $76 million. The IFO found that $31 million of that spending would occur outside of the stadium and support local businesses. 

“If the taxpayers are going to put money into the stadium, the Pirates need to also invest in PNC Park, as well as put a worthy product on the field,” Bonner said in a statement. “Taxpayers deserve more than the bare minimum.”

The current PNC Park agreement expires after the 2030 season, and formal renewal talks are expected to begin over the next two years. The IFO developed a similar study for the Phillies, who also play in a publicly owned facility and have generated much higher results.

Operating in one of MLB’s smallest media markets, the Pirates have long been an easy target for politicians, fans, media, and other constituent groups. The team has just four winning seasons in the last 30 years—three of which came in the Andrew McCutchen–led era of the mid-2010s—and its current $85.2 million payroll is the 29th in the league, beating only the soon-relocating A’s. That figure is below Pittsburgh’s payrolls in each of the ’15–17 seasons that surpassed $90 million, despite a significant bump in national-level MLB revenues since then.

The club’s average attendance of 21,340 per game, up by nearly 7% from a year ago, is 24th in the league. 

Team Response

Not surprisingly, the Pirates have pushed back on the legislators’ comments. Broad, performance-based lease agreements are not common across the industry, due in part to the many variables that contribute to teams’ on-field records, and are not likely to be included in the next PNC Park lease term. 

“Focusing solely on major league payroll is limiting because there are countless other investments that clubs make to develop a winning team,” the Pirates said in a letter included in the IFO report. 

The Bob Nutting–owned franchise, meanwhile, is seeking to amass a broader base of talent around Skenes, who quickly has captivated the sport. The frenzy hit another level Friday as Skenes was named as the starting pitcher for the National League in the July 16 All-Star Game at Globe Life Field. Skenes is just the fifth rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game, and he’s the first MLB player to be drafted No. 1 and become an All-Star the following year. 

“We have been very clear about our plan to build and sustain a winner at the major league level, and have made significant investments and progress in the execution of that plan,” the team added.