The hot topic that will always surround the Pittsburgh Pirates is payroll. The team currently owns the lowest payroll in baseball and has been trending in that direction over the last few years. Right now, the team’s payroll is projected to be around $50 million for the 2020 season. Even with a new front office and coaching staff, things have not changed in terms of money spent.
If it was not clear before then it has been made even more clear now that General Manager Ben Cherington and team President Travis Willaims do not necessarily have a lot of control over the payroll.