It has never felt more hopeless for the Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have not given their fans many reasons for optimism over the past 40-plus seasons. Since their last World Series appearance in 1979, the Pirates have made just six playoff appearances, and have finished with a winning record only 11 times. 

It's been bleak. 

As bad as it's been, and for as consistently bad as the franchise has been, this offseason somehow feels even more hopeless than it ever has because of their inability and unwillingness to build around one of the game's best young players in starting pitcher Paul Skenes. 

It is the presence of Skenes, already one of the best players in the entire league, that should be the type of thing that builds hope for Pirates fans. Players like him do not come along often, and there should be an incentive and urgency to try and contend when a team gets them. Especially a team like the Pirates that may not be able to keep him long-term. 

That urgency should have started this offseason for a Pirates team that is coming off back-to-back 86-loss seasons.

Instead of showing any sort of desire to dramatically improve the roster, the Pirates instead seem prepared to run back nearly the exact same roster that was not good enough a year ago with only a few minor changes around the fringes of the roster. 

The offseason to this point has consisted of acquiring a few low-level bullpen arms, trading for a platoon first basemen in Spencer Horwitz (at the cost of starting pitcher Luis Ortiz) and on Tuesday signing veteran utility man Adam Frazier to a one-year contract.

That has been the extent of their offseason. 

There has been no high-ceiling position player added. There is almost on position player help coming through the farm system. They have not acquired anybody that figures to be an everyday player.

All of that has happened despite glaring holes at right field and shortstop, and major questions at first base, second base, third base and catcher. 

The only position players they should feel even remotely comfortable with are outfielder Bryan Reynolds and shortstop-turned-center fielder Oneil Cruz. 

What makes all of this even more unacceptable is that even with all of those flaws, they are still in a position where the playoffs should not be out of reach. Between Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller, in addition to prized prospect Bubba Chandler, they have the makings of a contending starting rotation. They also play in what might be the most winnable division in baseball without a clear-cut favorite. 

All it would take is a minimal effort from ownership and management to get them into the running and they do not even seem willing to take that step.

If they are not willing to do it now, when they have a gift from the baseball gods in Skenes, it makes you wonder when or if it will ever happen.

The time for patience and building is over. It should be time to try and contend. They are not even close to being there.