Pirates sign utilityman DeCaster

[Ravenseye]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06038/651486.stm

Ok, level with me. Last year the Pirates payroll was a touch over 38 million. Do they ever have a chance of getting to the Series again, much less the playoffs when teams like the Red Sox spend more money on their starting pitching rotation? I mean hell, the Yankees spent 40.3 million on A-Rod and Jeter alone.

Given no change in ownership: are we looking at a situation where conceivably the Pirates will never be in contention ever again?

[nickgutierrez]

1. I'm confused.

How do you get from "utility guy gets major league contract" to "Pirates can't compete"? This was a guy already on their 40-man roster, the only thing that has changed here is that they basically just told him he will be spending a lot of time with the major league team this year.

[Ravenseye]

2. It's a counterpoint

The big teams announce signings of Alex Gonzalez and Coco Crisp, or talking about signing Rodger Clemens...Meanwhile teams like the Pirates, Brewers, or Royals announce signing triple a players or guys who are about ten years past their prime...

It's not something specific about that signing, but about the overall state of some teams in baseball that might never be competetive again, with the disparity as it is.

[erpowers]

3. No

In recent years both the Red Sox and the Yankees have been beaten by teams that have had considerly smaller payrolls. So it is still possible that the Pirates will be in contention again. However, they may have to push their payroll over 50 or 100 million to be back in contentions. How much was the payroll of the White Sox?

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

4. The Pirates in contention...

:spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl:

[Ravenseye]

5. Here's the Payrolls

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/salaries?team=pit

The White Sox were 13th spending over 75 million. About double the Pirates payroll.

The thing I worry about is the fact that revenue sharing as set up, helps these lower payroll teams stay bad but not giving them incentive. If you can make 12 million dollars profit as a cellar team, why spend more to only make 4 million dollars profit as a mid level team? I read an economic thing about it before, not sure where, but basically attacked the Pirates specifically for becoming 'somethign to do' and being profitable at it with giveaways, etc, rather than a competetive team.