The reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to significantly raise payroll for the 2026 season were equal parts surprising and encouraging. Most fans of small-market clubs are used to empty promises of investment in the on-field product, just to later hear that nothing on the market lined up with an appropriate value proposition.
That's a foreign feeling for Pirates fans. Under Bob Nutting, they don't get lied to with false promises of spending. Instead, Nutting keeps his mouth shut while he stuffs his pockets with the profits the franchise generates. That makes this feel like uncharted territory, though it's still fair to be heavily skeptical of Nutting's motives.