The Pittsburgh Pirates have long faced criticism for their consistent lack of spending, but could that shift in the near future?
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal suggested implementing a salary floor of $100 to $120 million in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. He also proposed penalties for teams that fail to meet the threshold. “Why not make the penalties harsher at the top and introduce penalties for teams at the bottom?” Rosenthal said on *Foul Territory*. “For example, if the Pirates fall below a set payroll, say $100 million, or $120 million, they could lose draft picks, pay fines, or face other consequences. That could be a solution.”
The current CBA expires in 2027.
At the moment, the Pirates are set to allocate just $63.71 million for their 2025 payroll, which ranks fifth-lowest in the league, according to Spotrac. They’re one of 10 teams that would fail to meet the $100 million threshold for the upcoming season, and their payroll for 2025 represents a significant drop from the $84.05 million in 2024.
Introducing a salary floor would compel Pittsburgh to spend more annually in free agency, which would likely be welcomed by Pirates fans. While the team has made strides in retaining homegrown talent like Mitch Keller, Bryan Reynolds, and Ke’Bryan Hayes through extensions, their lack of movement in free agency—especially given the potential of pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones—has been a point of concern.
After two consecutive 76-86 seasons, there was some optimism that Pittsburgh might become more active in the free agent market. However, so far, the team has only re-signed Andrew McCutchen and added left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson on a one-year deal.
A salary floor would essentially force the Pirates to increase their free agent spending, which could be just what the team needs to surround their promising young pitching staff with more talent.
Leave a Reply