Pirates will be quiet for sometime as free agency is under way

1:04pm - Friday, November 20th, 2009 by DePaoli

Ownership wants payroll under $40 million

Photo: David Hague - Inside Pittsburgh Sports.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have $24 million committed to salaries for the 2010 season with the payroll expected to rise to $30-$32 million after arbitration raises.

After dealing away a number of high priced veterans, Pittsburgh clearly has some money to spend in free agency but the team won't be making any kind of splash.

The Pirates will be looking for bargains as sources tell TIOPS, ownership has set a payroll ceiling for GM Neal Huntington at $38-$40 million.

This coming after Jayson Stark mentioned this week that the Pirates get $80 million in revenue from MLB before even selling a ticket.

Pittsburgh's top priority is upgrading the bullpen but the team won't be in on any of the top tier relievers and that includes former Pirate Mike Gonzalez.

"Our focus is going to be more on the borderline-type guys that may not get $3-4 million or may not even get a Major League contract," GM Neal Huntington said. "We've got an opportunity where we can sell a chance to come in and compete for a chance on the Major League club."

One of the Pirates top left handed reliever targets is lefty Mark Hendrickson. Hendrickson, 35, had a 4.37 era in 105.0 innings pitched. Hendrickson made a salary of $1.5 million in 2009 and is viewed as a short-term fix for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh plans to wait it out until after the new year to find bargains, like the team tried to do last year in pursuing relievers Joe Beimel and Will Ohman.

Beimel expects to receive a call again from Pittsburgh but indications are he has no interest in re-joining the Pirates. Ohman is no longer on the Pirates radar.

Adding a right handed reliever is also a priority for the Pirates after trading away Jesse Chavez. The Pirates remain very aggressive in trying to land righty reliever Ryota Igarashi of the Yakult Swallows. Igarashi is a former teammate of Akinori Iwamura.

The team also plans to add a bat and have not ruled out bringing in another short-stop to battle Roger Cedeno for playing time.

A player of interest at short-stop for the Pirates is Butler, Pennsylvania native Khalil Greene. Pittsburgh will explore the market for Greene in the hopes of getting Greene on the cheap.

Along with upgrading the bullpen, adding a bat is a priority.

For the time being the Pirates are shying away from first baseman Hank Blalock. The Pirates intentions are to make a strong play for outfielder Rick Ankiel and use Garrett Jones at first base along with the possibility of Jeff Clement having a strong spring training and pushing for playing time.

The Pirates haven’t ruled out making a play for Blalock but the Pirates efforts are going to be elsewhere to begin free agency.

One area where the Pirates won't be active is looking for a starting pitcher. The team has all intentions of moving forward with Ross Ohlendorf, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm and letting a number of pitchers battle for the final two spots in the rotation.

The candidates for the No. 4 and No. 5 spots include Charlie Morton, Kevin Hart, Daniel McCutchen, Jose Ascanio, Virgil Vasquez, and and Donnie Veal.

Team sources indicate three sleepers in spring training to beat out Morton and Hart will be rookie Donnie Veal, Daniel McCutchen and Jose Ascanio.

Veal has been impressive in the Arizona Fall League and the Pirates planned to give Ascanio some starts in September before he was sidelined with shoulder tendinitis.

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Comments

jaluco

I have to laugh at these names like Hank Blalock and Ankiel - it's be doubly funny seeing what they go for, and realize the Buccos were never in the ballpark (literally).

11/20/2009 1:09pm

buccosin2012

Green could be signed for $2 million jaluco. He's cheap

11/20/2009 1:12pm

jeffed

It would be so great to see the pirates spend money just once. But they think they are strong enough going in to next year. Bottom line for the Pirates next year after salaries and before ticket sales is $73 million. Why wouldn't you want to own a baseball team.

11/20/2009 1:15pm

This is what gets me....they have money to spend but dont. If the problem was lack of money it would be understandable...so frustrating.

11/20/2009 1:24pm

viper6668

MLB should make it a rule somehow to force the Pirates to use a % of that revenue on salaries...or maybe there is such a rule??

11/20/2009 1:30pm

mwiles19

Pirates are an epic fail. They get $80 million revenue before even selling tickets but the payroll remains in the $38-$40 million range. Thats disturbing.

11/20/2009 1:34pm

Genomalkin

wait..they are getting 80 million in revenue from MLB?

11/20/2009 1:35pm

Yeah, as part of the revenue sharing program in place. I'm sorry, but's there's no way to justify not spending a little bit of money on free agents. They do the same thing when drafting players, so they're excuse for not paying free agents holds no water.

11/20/2009 1:47pm

Genomalkin

their pay roll should be 70 mill. Fuck them

11/20/2009 1:51pm

mwiles19

I agree with you Geno....100%...this is why I don't go to games or support them, because they don't give a shit about the fans or players at all

11/20/2009 2:01pm

Sports70

i'm waiting for the idiotic fans who actually still support the pirates' ownership to try and defend them on this move...

11/20/2009 2:04pm

jeffed

Sports- those guys will be here soon enough.

11/20/2009 2:16pm

jeffed

Just wait until this team opens up and spends upto around $50mm a year on payroll come 2011 and 2012, that's going to be some amazing baseball. Idiots.

11/20/2009 2:16pm

Vargo

Its not the Pirates fault, why spend 80 million when the Yankees spend 380 million. They still won't be able to compete. MLB is a joke!

11/20/2009 2:19pm

jeffed

It's not the Pirates fault? Yeah that makes sense.

11/20/2009 2:23pm

jeffed

This has nothing to do with the Yankees. The Yankees pay more in luxury tax, etc. than the Pirates pay in payroll. That is the Pirates fault.

11/20/2009 2:23pm

jeffed

Vargo- if they don't want to invest 200 million in a baseball team then don't own one. Mark Cuban wants to buy the Pirates and they aren't selling. This is the entire point- Ownership SUCKS! Why is this so hard to understand. Nobody dislikes the players but the ownership won't even spend the money they get for free from the league because other teams actually put a product on the field and make money and sell merchandise.

11/20/2009 2:24pm

j_s15226

Jeffed they've spend 50 million the last few years....thats not like an epic high for them. I'm pretty surprised about the 38-40 range. NH has hinted since the end of the year that it would remain at around 48-50. My thing is, if you don't want to support them then fine. I completley understand why. But coming on here and ripping them a new one everytime theres a new article is just freaking irritating. It's next to impossible to read through all the relevant comments that actually contribute to the disussion. Personally, I feel they are heading in the right direction. But the fact is at some point they will have to spend more money and that remains to be seen.

11/20/2009 2:29pm

jeffed

IF you haven't read this yet then check this out: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings091119

11/20/2009 2:30pm

j_s15226

Its a good read. I like the idea he proposes at the end. The 2011 labor negotiations will be an Epic battle

11/20/2009 2:31pm

jeffed

I appologize for ripping them by telling the truth. The truth is what it is. But in all seriousness, Rocko Baldelli and Rick Ankiel will be huge additions. They are going to be good in a couple years probably. Is that better?

11/20/2009 2:34pm

j_s15226

Saying ownership sucks every friggin time does nothing. Suggest something that will improve the team. And saying to sell the team gets old. I'm sure Ankiel, Blalock, Baldelli, or whomever they talk to is an upgrade over Brandon freaking Moss and Steve Strikeout Pearce

11/20/2009 2:39pm

jeffed

j_s please tell me how we make this team better without spending money. We brought in the best pitching coach the league has and it did nothing. The Cardinals won the division and just hired a new hitting coach. That stuff doesn't matter. You need to pay players who can play.

11/20/2009 2:45pm

jeffed

Maybe we get better by adding two people from India who have never stepped foot on a baseball field before and won a contest. Wait we tried that, but it's different...

11/20/2009 2:48pm

j_s15226

You don't need to spend 20 mill on Jason Bay or Matt Holliday to improve the team. I think there will be a lot of options in the under 10 range. Blalock, Ankiel, Vlad, Matsui, Baldelli, Nady, Thome, Huff, Greene, etc.

11/20/2009 2:50pm

j_s15226

Why not sign players out of India? That signing had minimal risk and possibly could lead to something in that area in the future. It boggles my mind why people rip on those signings. Nobody portrayed it as a big acquisition.

11/20/2009 2:52pm

Jerkhart66

Management sucks....80 million in rev. sharing after making a profit in the reg season cause people actually pay to see this disgrace of a team play....we should be spending 80 mill. minimum on players......and this is why we'll never keep talent nor sign good talent.

11/20/2009 2:59pm

Jerkhart66

And signing washed up 50 year olds isnt a good signing...

11/20/2009 2:59pm

jeffed

I don't have a problem signing players from anywhere. We've missed out on signing non-american players up untill last year. This organization makes no sense. I'm not going to keep ripping these guys. j_s you are a real fan and you deserve more than this ownership is giving you. Why you are ok with them pocketing 50% of free money I don't know. 17 years and counting, if you see an end in sight then hold on to it. I'll be back this time next year to read a similar article.

11/20/2009 3:00pm

j_s15226

I'm not okay with them pocketing that. I just recognize that it won't change until there is a cap and/or salary floor. Until then we're forced to look at low priced high reward signings. The Pens never signed ANYONE before there was a cap. No sport can be competitve without some sort of salary system

11/20/2009 3:09pm

Monrovian12

Go out and get Matsui, just for the hell of it.

11/20/2009 3:11pm

j_s15226

It would be an upgrade in RF....Get Iwamura on the job! LOL But seriously a guy like him is only getting a one year deal maybe. Cetainly the bucs could be in play for a guy like that. Heck, they were in on abreau last year

11/20/2009 3:14pm

jeffed

j_s you cannot compare the Pens to the Pirates. The Pens can still build through a draft. Baseball's draft has teams select guys who don't play for 3-5 years in most cases. The only way to do anything in baseball is to pay and hold on to prospects. The Pirates don't even bring up their young guys to play because then they would have to pay them sooner. When internal guys become something they trade them away instead of making a few transactions to get over the hump. Realize that there will never be a salary cap in baseball, come to terms with that and then realize that there are people out there willing to invest in building a champion in Pittsburgh and spending that money. Then re-read this article and tell me you don't see it the same way "Pirate haters" see it.

11/20/2009 3:17pm

j_s15226

Aside from Sid players in hockey take just as long to develop. I think its a very valid comparison pre-lockout. The pirates aren't the only ones to hold back players to gain an extra year. Their may not be a cap but their will be changes in 2011. Theres a lot of heat back and forth and a lot of talk for them not to do anything

11/20/2009 3:21pm

jeffed

Ok, then why when the Pirates have a chance to take a player that would be equivalent to Sid in the top three picks to they take a player that was the third best player in that position. Why do I read the guy we took this year will be nothing better than a relief pitcher or a fifth starter from the guys on ESPN. Why would I go out to watch a team that doesn't care.

11/20/2009 3:25pm

Jerkhart66

Pens did it for 3 years to build their team....its taken the pirates 17.....and when the pens players got good they didnt trade them away..I'd say they made about 3 bad mvoes in those years, but for the most part held onto their young players.....pirates give no hope in that department...just my opinion..I hope IM wrong I wanna see them compete.

11/20/2009 3:27pm

Jerkhart66

excellent point jeffed the pens take the best player available and sign him..the pirates shy away from that...they didnt with Alverez however, I'll give them that,.

11/20/2009 3:28pm

j_s15226

The Pens have a cap so they can afford to keep their best players. The pirates don't have that luxury. And While Sanchez at 4 was a stretch look at those pitchers they signed at 6-8 that all had 1st round grades. The other thing is it takes longer to build a mlb minor league system. Hockey ahs maybe 2 minor league teams while MLB has 5 or 6

11/20/2009 3:31pm

pens17404

This is a joke and to think most of you guys pay for the stadium over on the north side.Im so thankful i moved the pirates are a joke.Thank god for the pens and steelers

11/20/2009 3:32pm

mwalluk

Complete BS! Fraud I tell ya

11/20/2009 3:38pm

mwalluk

Theyre not even trying anymore

11/20/2009 3:38pm

mwiles19

Salary cap or no salary cap, the fact remains the Buccos will not pay in order to be competitive. The cap argument is total BS. Its been 17 years and we haven't been able to/wanted to build a good minor league system. That argument is total mud too. They won't pay to get the good scouts, players, managers, front office personnel, etc etc etc. It all comes down to a complete and total unwillingness to try to win no matter how you spin it. People who actually go the games are total suckers just adding to the problem.

11/20/2009 3:40pm

jconley77

Receiving 80 million from MLB, and spending half of that? Tops? I want to cry

11/20/2009 3:44pm

jeffed

j_s I will say the same thing then that I have been saying since the start of the day- sell the team to someone that will spend the money.

11/20/2009 3:49pm

j_s15226

Say it all you want...it won't happen unless MLB forces nutting to spend a certain amount and he just decides to sell the team instead

11/20/2009 3:52pm

jeffed

and you're ok with that?

11/20/2009 3:54pm

mwalluk

The buccos may suck but at least the articles are good hahahaha

11/20/2009 3:55pm

roaddogg925

"The Pirates are going to be quiet for sometime" - appropriate -very appropriate. They have already alienated a whole generation. Nobody not of legal drinking age has seen a winning team. What happens when the current over 40 crowd gets to be 60 and 70 and doesn't go to games anymore? Who will even watch this team , let alone support them?

11/20/2009 4:19pm

j_s15226

I'd love for them to spend 100m but I know it won't happen anytime soon

11/20/2009 4:26pm

jeffed

$100mm? How about $75?

11/20/2009 4:46pm

maybe the pirates and blue jays (my team) should combined franchises, players money everything. And then we could have a very solid 3rd place team who spends 80mil

11/20/2009 4:48pm

jeffed

j_s I agree with you that MLB should just start over with a cap or else there will never be a chance of other teams winning. There is zero chance of this happening so baseball should enforce a minimum salary equal to revenue sharing amount. We both understand that there is no chance of this happening. It is within any owners right to spend as much money as they want to get as many players as they want. This is why there are "Pirate haters" out there. They have the ability to do what they want in order to win and not only do they not do it, they pretty much do anything to avoid doing it. Including trading away guys who you can build around, not calling up major league caliber players who could use the experience and not drafting the best available players. We know all of this and we are supposed to read an article that adds hit number four against them and be ok with it? It's just the same old crap.

11/20/2009 4:56pm

SV84

I'm not taking any blame from the Pirate, but baseball is ridiculously unfair. These teams like the Yankees can pick and choose who they want without worrying about another team stealing them. They pay a luxury tax because they can. But at this point I'm not sure a cap makes any difference for the Pirates.

11/20/2009 5:21pm

Genomalkin

The Pirates have the $ to at least be competitive. Dont blame the Yankees, they are the oulier here anyway. Blame the Pirates. They have the money. Get it through your heads...the Pirates ownership DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!

11/20/2009 5:59pm

yay another loosing season to come

11/20/2009 6:04pm

jackattack8771

the mlb should look at wat they are, and wat they will become without a salary cap. the popularity in the nhl has become much bigger since the lockout...i wonder why?? every team has a shot every year. they will never get a cap though because cities like chi, new york, boston, philly would be furious and would not let it happen.

11/20/2009 6:05pm

jackattack8771

thats also true gm

11/20/2009 6:10pm

its not the pirates fault at all...its the owners fault...the players dont benefit from ownership pocketing money...its so ridiculous, i honestly think they can compete in a few years, say what you want to me but its my opinion and i think they will

11/20/2009 8:21pm

wmalonijr

The Pirates will not be competitive as long as the Nuttings are the owners, because the family; will siphon off all available cash. I don't define "competitive" as playing .500 baseball. Just look at the other lineups in the division and then look at ours. Then look at ur pitchers. Get the picture? If the stories that Smizik posted are anywhere near accruate, why would you spend one more dollart, if MLB is giving you $80 million? The only FAs they will sign will be "crapbags," who would come here for top dollar that no other team will pay.

11/20/2009 10:19pm

Fox247

"Pirates will be Quiet for sometime"...LOL try 17 years of being quiet...

11/20/2009 10:23pm

SV84

Geno, I realize Nutting deserves a ton of blame, but to say baseball isn't tilted is wrong. And no I am not blaming the Yankees, they were an example. In fact, as long as it is legal, if they didn't spend as much as they can, it would be dumb. Can't blame them for doing whatever they can to win.

11/20/2009 10:36pm

↑ previous comments ↑

SV84

A salary cap doesn't gurantee them spending more either unless the floor is ridiculously high. It would just be more competitive everywhere else. Gosh I hope Selig rips the team from Nutting but Selig is so far up his ass he can give himself a colonoscophy. Only hope for Mark Cuban.

11/20/2009 10:41pm

j_s15226

This is whats wrong with MLB:

11/21/2009 8:49pm

j_s15226

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News spoke with a baseball executive who believes the Yankees will wind up with Aroldis Chapman. "My bet is that it'll come down to the Yankees and Red Sox, like it always does..." said the executive. "And I think the Yankees will get him. They can give him a big-league contract over five years for $20 million and they don't even feel that."

11/21/2009 8:49pm

At this point, it makes no sense to go after big time free agents. If they do, they will end up like washington paying $10M for Adam Dunn, who is a 1.2 WAR player. Even on fangraphs' inflated scale it shows him only worth $5M. It doesn't matter how much the Pirates get from MLB because you don't have any idea what their expenses are. For example, if you take their attendance and multiply their average ticket price, you get only $25M more in revenue. So to say they get $80M from MLB and only add $25M more, with all the expenses, how much do they really have for players' salaries? If you look at other teams' attendance and market size, you'll see all teams spend on payroll proportionally to what the Pirates spend. I'm talking the Pirates $50M self imposed ceiling, not their current $37M level, which is a) not certain to be that way to start the season, and b) if it is that way, then it's a temporary situation based on player service time.

11/22/2009 4:52am

Vargo

The point is that the owners don't want to win! They just want to make money and they do very well for themselves. I don't blame them, its our fault that we will pay for the crap they sell.

11/23/2009 3:46pm