The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the worst MLB teams for years, largely due to owner Bob Nutting’s reputation for cutting costs wherever possible. Nutting’s franchise is once again living up to its reputation with two recent transactions.
As highlighted by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the recent release of starting pitcher Andrew Heaney and the placement of infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa came at quite a financially convenient time for the Pirates.
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- Pittsburgh Pirates payroll 2025 (Spotrac): $57.110 million active payroll
Pittsburgh signed Heaney to a one-year, $5.25 million contract in February to provide rotation depth and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. The left-handed pitcher has struggled this season, posting a 5.39 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP in 120.1 innings pitched. Pittsburgh designated Heaney for assignment on Aug. 26, when he was just 8⅔ innings away from earning a $100,000 bonus.
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On Saturday, the Pirates placed Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers. The 30-year-old infielder had a .264/.300/.332 triple-slash line this season with a 1.5 bWAR across 119 games played. Notably, per Spotrac, Kiner-Falefa was released just 81 plate appearances shy of hitting a $250,000 contract incentive. The two moves saved the Pirates $350,000.
- Pittsburgh Pirates franchise value (Forbes): $1.35 billion
Pittsburgh also did this last season. The team released first baseman Rowdy Tellez when he was just four plate appearances shy of earning a $200,000 incentive bonus. When it happened, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the bonus money had “zero factor” in the decision.
While the team didn’t cut it quite as close as they did a year ago, it’s still not a great look for the organization. The transactions also come just a month after the team seemingly traded Ke’Bryan Hayes in a salary dump. While there remains a chance that the Pirates will have a new general manager next year, even that and the eventual implementation of an MLB salary floor probably won’t change how Nutting runs the club.
