Williams adamant about future
‘We have a clear plan in place, and we’re commited to that plan’
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates have a plan, president Travis Williams insisted several times during a wide-ranging, inperson and socially distanced interview Wednesday at LECOM Park with the four local outlets here covering spring training.
Within that, Williams tackled a variety of topics, including owner Bob Nutting’s commitment to winning, whether payroll was affected by the pandemic and what they’re doing to ensure that plan succeeds.
Without any delay, let’s get into some of the salient points here:
• Williams said the pandemic had a “significant impact” on the Pirates’ finances, but he declined to discuss specifics. Bottom line, Williams said the Pirates had a plan before the pandemic hit, and that didn’t call for spending a ton at the major league level.
“We had a plan in place before we knew the impact of last season [with no fans], so it has not impacted player payroll this year,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, we have a clear plan in place, and we’re committed to that plan.”
That plan, of course, involved trading known talents like Josh
Bell, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon. In return, the Pirates have targeted young, high-upside players who might be several years from making their MLB debuts.
Naturally, targeting 2023 or 2024 for their competitive window to open would allow the Pirates to spend less now at the major league level.
When those players mature and more is required out of the — for contract extensions or to supplement via free agency — Williams reiterated his belief those needs will be supported.
“We’re confident in the plan that we have in place and the direction we’re headed,” Williams said. “We’re confident that, in the right moment, we will have the resources available to us to put a championship-caliber team on the field.”
• Another topic that came up quite a bit was Nutting’s commitment to winning despite plenty of low payrolls over the years. Williams offered an impassioned defense of his boss.
Williams said the perception Nutting is indifferent to winning baseball games, worrying more about turning a profit, simply isn’t true.
“First of all, it’s just not true that he doesn’t care,” Williams said. “He cares deeply and passionately about the city of Pittsburgh, about the Pirates, about Pirates Charities and the work we’re doing in the community.”
To support that argument, Williams highlighted work
Nutting has done with MLB, serving on committees involving diversity and inclusion, business and media. Williams said Nutting has long been an advocate for small-market teams like the Pirates.
“He is a very important voice for markets like Pittsburgh,” Williams said. “He has a great relationship with [commissioner] Rob Manfred, as well. I’m not going to get into the details, but I will tell you there is no better advocate for markets like Pittsburgh on all fronts, not just in terms of the CBA, but all things around the operations of baseball clubs.”
Off the field, Williams said Nutting was the primary driver behind the Pirates hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics at PNC Park, with Nutting telling AHN and Highmark he, the Pirates and the ballpark would support them however possible. The Pirates would like to continue those in perpetuity, Williams added.
Williams also conveyed Nutting’s thoughts on the direction of the Pirates and the vision that has been crafted along with general manager Ben Cherington.
“Bob wants to win a championship in the worst way,” Williams said. “I’ll let Bob speak for himself about his passion behind that, but I see it. He wants that to happen.
“He knew we needed to set a clear direction, which he was heavily involved in with Ben and myself, making sure it was a direction we all believed in and can be aligned in, and then providing whatever resources we need to execute that vision.”
• Resources available to the Pirates can be a sticky thing. Fans want them to spend more, obviously. Outside their recent playoff seasons in 2013-15, the Pirates’ major league payroll has annually been among the lowest in the sport.
As such, it would stand to reason, after the current collective bargaining agreement expires in December, the Pirates might benefit from a salary cap, a long-shot proposition for MLB and the MLB Players Association.
“Fans deserve competitive balance to be able to have an opportunity [for their teams] to compete for championships on a regular basis, and that’s our principal goal,” Williams said.
“I won’t get exactly into the details of what exactly the issues and discussions are, but I can tell you that is first and foremost on the mind of Bob Nutting, myself and everybody else in the organization as we have those conversations.”
Pressed on whether those goals include a capped system, Williams responded: “I don’t want to get into the details of those conversations. I can just tell you there are many different concepts that achieve competitive balance, and I think we are advocates for all of those that allow us to compete for championships on a regular basis.”