Some teams in MLB are just a little cheap.
Not every team has the drive, desire, and expectation to build a winner and compete for a World Series title.
The Pittsburgh Pirates appear to be one of those teams, having not finished above .500 since 2018 and not reaching the postseason since losing the Wild Card Game to the Chicago Cubs in 2015.
There has been no indication of them wanting to win or improve their club.
Their payroll is low, and it was even lower on Opening Day in 2021 than it was on Opening Day in 1992.
Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman reacted to this fact on Twitter, revealing his thoughts on the matter and how insane that fact truly is.
That’s actually insane.
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 25, 2022
The Pirates And Their Tanking Strategy
It’s crazy to think that back then, the Pirates had a higher payroll.
It just goes to show how cheap the owners have gotten.
The Pirates are obviously a small market team and are never going to spend big on any free agent.
But the fact that the payroll was even lower last year than in 1992 is insane.
Remember, this was right before the players went on strike in 1994.
Owners were cheap then, but it’s gotten even worse ever since.
The Pirates are a team that does not appear to have any intent to win anytime soon.
This is evident given their current payroll.
Obviously, small market teams are going to be a little more conservative with their money, but one would think that given the amount of money these owners actually have, they might actually try to spend some money and win, showing the fanbase that they are invested in the product.
But Stroman is reacting just like anybody would to this fact.
It really is quite insane.
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