MLB analyst claims $5.7B-worth Mark Cuban is interested in buying Pirates but owners will not sell to him

The Pittsburgh Pirates took a step forward last season thanks mainly to the superstar emergence of young pitcher Paul Skenes. Even though the team missed the postseason, it showed promise and could soon find itself climbing the standings in the near future.

Despite the emergence of Skenes and the team's future looking brighter than it has in years, Pirates fans are still frustrated with ownership. For some time now, fans of the club have been pleading for Bob Nutting to sell the team in the hopes that a new owner or ownership group would be more willing to spend money on the team's roster.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh fans, Nutting is unwilling to part with the team, a fact that was reiterated by team CEO Travis Williams during one of the team's fan events. Tech-billionaire Mark Cuban, who has a net worth of $5.7 billion according to Forbes, has expressed interest in buying the club, but to no avail.

According to MLB analyst Molly Knight, Cuban said that they wouldn't sell.

"I think [Mark Cuban] should buy the Pirates. I asked him if he would. He said he’d love to but those owners will never sell because they’re running a business that allows them to pocket tens of millions of dollars a year in passive income," Knight posted on Bluesky on Sunday.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if Cuban were to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates. The billionaire has already enjoyed success with his own sports team, the Dallas Mavericks, winning the NBA championship in 2011.

According to Spotrac, Pittsburgh had the second-lowest payroll in 2024 ahead of only the Athletics. This has led to frustration among fans who believe that the current ownership is not committed to winning.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a relatively quiet offseason so far

If the Pittsburgh Pirates front office is trying to tell their fans that they are committed to winning and improving upon last year, they have not made much noise so far this offseason. Even though fans should not have expected the front office to pursue top-tier free agents such as Juan Soto, the front office has only made a few minor moves this offseason so far.

The team has made a couple of trades to acquire the likes of Enmanuel Valdez and Spencer Horwitz while also making smaller free-agent signings such as Caleb Ferguson, Nick Solak, and Darick Hall. While movement is always exciting, the players mentioned above are not exactly All-Star caliber players that fans can write home about.