Pirates Owner Sticks By Front Office Despite Frustrating Season

Pirates Owner Disappointed In Team's On-Field Performance, But Has Confidence In Execs

Pirates Owner Bob Nutting yesterday "expressed displeasure with the Pirates' performance in 2009," even as he "expressed confidence in his management," according to Dejan Kovacevic of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Nutting said, "I am personally frustrated with the team's performance as a whole." But Nutting "did not waiver in his support" of President Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington. Nutting: "I have confidence in Frank, Neal and our baseball operations staff. We are a much stronger organization than two years ago when you consider the increased investment in our core operations, whether it be with more scouts and scouting systems, improved player development processes and facilities, or our increased focus in securing impact talent in the draft and internationally. We must now continue to work hard to add to that foundation to bring winning baseball back to our fans, not just for one season but on a consistent basis." Huntington "declined to offer positional targets for free agency, as he has done in the past." Huntington: "We don't see any desperate hole that we absolutely have to overpay to fill" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/5).

PAYROLL ON THE RISE: Coonelly yesterday said that the Pirates "will raise payroll by an undisclosed amount for 2010, are open to offering extensions" to Huntington and manager John Russell "beyond next year, and have not yet decided about keeping single-game ticket prices level." The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE's Kovacevic notes the payroll for the current roster, "assuming no additions and raises for existing players, projects to be" $28M for opening day next season. The payroll ceiling for the '09 season was $55M, "roughly double that." Coonelly "pledged that payroll 'will be above the $28[M] range' but did not get more specific" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/5).