Jan 19, 2018 4 min read

The Pirates were a premier team in major league baseball in 2015, when they posted 98 victories and qualified for the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

They had talent, depth and a strong minor league system – a 180-degree reversal from where they had been, in MLB’s dungeon. The babbling Buccos had a losing record every year from 1993 through 2012, the longest run of ineptitude – ever – among any franchise in America’s four major professional sports.

Those demons appeared to have been eradicated, a proud franchise resurrected. But now, a little more than two years removed from postseason play, Pirates partisans are asking, fearing: Is another 20-year losing streak ahead?

As unlikely as that may be, the team’s diminishing fan base can’t help but recoil at that possibility. The rapid-fire trades of Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, deals that had been anticipated for months, have diminished the on-field product tremendously and further fueled speculation that the Bucs are rebuilding.

Although his wondrous abilities have declined in recent years, McCutchen, the longtime face of the franchise, remains a quality player. Cole has been erratic, but was still the club’s best starting pitcher last summer. The two were exchanged for a gaggle of prospects who, according to several scouting services, are not top-shelf talents.

And versatile infielder Josh Harrison, a two-time all-star, will likely be next. Harrison is upset about the deals and has virtually asked to be traded as well. He said he wants to play for a winner, and the Pirates appear to be in a rebuilding mode – even if general manager Neal Huntington said specifically, “We are not rebuilding.”

Without two traditional cornerstones, and presumably a third, the Pirates appear to be bound for a third consecutive losing campaign.

Money, according to the old bromide, is the root of all evil. It is certainly at the root of deals involving a ball club owned by Bob Nutting, who has a renowned reputation of being miserly. And his penurious ways likely hamstring Huntington’s ability to assemble a championship-caliber product.

The McCutchen and Cole trades are primarily about money. McCutchen, a fan favorite who, in turn, has embraced the city during his nine-year career, was heading into his final year with the Pirates. The team could have kept him for a half-season, perhaps all season, if the Bucs would have been contending for a wild-card playoff spot – a reasonable scenario.

But he is a notoriously slow starter and the club, apparently, feared if he stumbled at the beginning again, his market value would decline. So the Bucs dealt him now. But did they get fair market value in this trade?

Cole is only 27 and could have stayed here for two more seasons; he will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season. The Pirates avoided arbitration with Cole by signing him to a one-year, $6.75 million deal Friday – then dispatched him the next day.

Rebuilding the Pirates will not be easy. Don’t expect them to go for high-level free agents, who command megabucks, or mid-level ones who cost less. There are prospects in the minor league system, but none, apparently, with McCutchen’s or Cole’s pedigree. No big deal. The important thing is a minor-leaguer who makes the Pirates’ roster will earn the MLB minimum $500,500.

The Pirates probably will not challenge for postseason play, but should be entertaining. Revel in the amazing routes Gregory Polanco takes on fly balls and wonder, if he gets to the ball, whether it will clang off his glove. Relish the creativity of Starling Marte as he makes his daily base-running faux pas. Count the number of games Austin Meadows, McCutchen’s eventual heir apparent in center field, misses with a pulled hamstring.

Best of all, fans, you’ll be able to stretch out at the ball yard. You may get a section to yourself.

This promises to be a dreary season at PNC Park, and more could be ahead.