"Paul Skenes might just change that"; "But the Dodgers are the problem" - Fans slam Pirates' 'disgusting' multi-year contract saga with free agents

The Pittsburgh Pirates have some of the finest young talent in the MLB, including Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year. However, their ownership seems disinterested in building a winning team, as they missed out on the postseason yet again and finished in last place in their division.

On Saturday, Bleacher Report posted a tweet on X stating that the Pittsburgh Pirates had not signed a free agent to a multi-year contract. Many fans feel Paul Skenes will alter that bit of history in a few years, while others blasted the team ownership, pointing out that the Los Angeles Dodgers are being wrongly cast as the villains instead for spending heavily on free agents.

Being one of the most storied and successful franchises of the MLB, the Pittsburgh Pirates have won nine National League pennants and five World Series titles. Yet, the Pirates have only participated in the postseason on just three occasions in the last 30 years. The last of those playoff appearances came in 2015.

On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Pirates have also acquired a number of high-profile draft picks, with Paul Skenes being the most recent one. However, the organization has often traded off their best draft acquisitions before they reach arbitration, while their front office has shied away from making a big splash in the free agent market.

The fans slammed the Pirates ownership on X for their miserly approach.

"This is disgusting," wrote one fan.

"But the Dodgers are the problem," another fan said.

"Paul Skenes might just change that," said another fan.

The fans continued to bash the Pirates owneship with their comments.

"Gotta start taking away draft picks for this type of behavior," advised one fan.

"Maybe the owner just needs some tax breaks," wrote another fan.

"They’ve been really good during that time too!" mocked another fan.

Right-handed pitcher Ivan Nova was the last player to sign a multi-year free agent deal with the Pirates after joining the team on a three-year, $26 million contract.

Pirates failed to capitalize on historic rookie campaign of Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes was named the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year (Image Source: IMAGN)

Paul Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and is widely regarded to be the best pitching prospect of his generation. The 22-year-old phenom needed just one season in the minors before getting called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates in May last year.

Skenes went on to post one of the most dominant campaigns by a rookie pitcher in the history of the game. He also earned his maiden All-Star selection and was appointed to be the starting pitcher for the National League in the Midsummer Classic. In total, Skenes made 23 starts last year and pitched 133.0 innings. He finished with an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, and 197 strikeouts.

But in spite of his outstanding rookie season, the Pittsburgh Pirates did not take any strides forward as a team. They could not even raise their performance from the previous season and ended the year with a 76-86 record, their sixth straight season under .500.