The Pittsburgh Pirates have held one of the longest playoff droughts in Major League Baseball, and it’s no surprise due to the ownership group’s unwillingness to spend on major free agents.
That’s why ESPN insider Bradford Doolittle named the Pirates 26th out of 30 in terms of teams who can win the World Series this year.
State of the franchise: Maddeningly cheap. Yes, cheap. But at least they have the game’s most dynamic young pitcher on board, if only for a few years.
Pivotal statistic: 250.