Mark Madden's Hot Take: Pirates ownership simply can't be trusted

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 100 games for a second consecutive year for the first time since 1952-54. That team cracked that regretful barrier three straight times.

Next year’s squad won’t lose 100. Probably not, anyway.

But the Pirates’ winning percentage in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season was .317, lowest in franchise history since ’52. That computes to 111 losses over a 162-game season. So, the last three years have been just as bad as ’52-54.

Marks and stooges think the Pirates are getting better.

But when will they win? How much will they win? How long will they win?

Pirates ownership simply can’t be trusted.

If you draft high often and trade for lots of prospects, some of that quantity can’t help but develop. But will enough develop? Will the Pirates spend to augment? Or will they just trade developed prospects for more prospects? Will the future ever arrive?

Marks and stooges fondly remember 2013-15. But that team didn’t even win a playoff series.

The minute it got even a bit expensive, it was disassembled.

If that’s the franchise’s peak under current ownership, it wasn’t a very high one.

The Pirates are a con. Pure carny. If winning occurs, it’s a happy coincidence. Their only intent is maximizing profit while taking minimal risk. (If you’re tired of reading that, I’m no less tired of writing it.)

If you accept that, the Pirates are fun to follow. What’s their next gaff?

Here’s my best guess:

Outfielder Bryan Reynolds is the Pirates’ best player. Reynolds is signed through next season at a salary of $6.75 million but has two arbitration years after that. So, the Pirates control him through 2025.

Reynolds is represented by uber-agent Scott Boras. So, no matter what Reynolds says, he isn’t signing with the Pirates past his arbitration years.

Outfielder Andrew McCutchen played for the Pirates from 2009-17. He was National League MVP in 2013. He finished third in the voting in ’12 and ’14, fifth in ’15.

If any player ever again gets inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and wears a Pirates hat on his plaque, it’s McCutchen. (He won’t get inducted. Close, but no.)

McCutchen is 35. He hit .237 with 17 home runs this past season. His OPS was .700, a career low. McCutchen’s career is a lot closer to the end than the middle. He just completed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with Milwaukee.

If McCutchen’s offers dry up, be it this offseason or next, it’s easy to see the Pirates signing him on a cheap one-year deal. Maybe even two years.

Then Reynolds gets traded, for good value, while fans are distracted celebrating McCutchen’s return.

That would be so Pirates. Don’t look here. Look over there.