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Pirates rumors: Bob Nightengale torches ownership with ‘profitable’ revelation

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Benjamin Adducchio | Last updated May 11, 2025 10:04 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are having one of the worst seasons in baseball. Pittsburgh’s problems came to a peak in recent days, as the team parted ways with embattled manager Derek Shelton. The Pirates are also rumored to be unwilling to spend money to help fix the club’s problems, according to USA Today writer Bob Nightengale.

“The Pittsburgh Pirates, according to information received by the players union and confirmed by several owners, are one of the most profitable teams in all of baseball, stashing a huge chunk of their revenue sharing monies instead of investing in their team year after year,” Nightengale wrote for the outlet.

The owner of the team is Bob Nutting, who is not a popular person in the Steel City. Pirates fans have chanted for him to sell the team at games this season at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh also has one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball this year. Pittsburgh is 13-27 overall, with the season looking like a lost cause.

Don Kelly is now the manager for the struggling Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) catches a pop out off Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Pirates are near the bottom of virtually every offensive statistical category in baseball this year. Pittsburgh just can’t muster enough runs to stay in games, despite having some decent pitching. The face of the team is young hurler Paul Skenes, who was the National League Rookie of the Year last season.

Shelton was fired by the franchise after starting the season 12-26 as manager.

“At the end of the day, we’re 12-26,” Skenes said of the firing, per MLB.com. “Someone’s got to be held accountable, and unfortunately right now, it’s him. That’s just kind of how it goes, but I don’t know that it fixes the root of the issue, which is we need to play better. That’s been the messaging today, that’s been the messaging for a little bit now and we’ve still got to do that.”

The new manager of the Pirates is Don Kelly. Kelly was previously serving as the club’s bench coach. He is 1-1 as manager, and was actually ejected in Saturday’s loss to the Atlanta Braves. It was just his second game as manager.

The Bucs clearly need some help on offense, but it remains to be seen where it’s coming from. Pittsburgh is known as having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, and this news from Nightengale doesn’t exactly inspire faith from Pirates fans.

Kelly grew up in Pittsburgh and is a fan of the club.

“He’s going to do his part. He’s going to do his job,” Pirates star Andrew McCutchen said of Kelly.

The Pirates play again on Sunday against Atlanta.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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