The Pittsburgh Pirates enter 2017 with a different attitude compared to the way they entered 2016. The Pittsburgh Pirates entered 2016 coming off a 98 win season. Expectations were high, but some knew that the Pirates were due to regress. After a very mediocre off-season, the Pirates entered the year with a poor rotation. By mid-summer, the Bucs were floating around .500 and it did not seem likely that they would make a playoff push.
At the trade deadline, they made some unpopular roster moves. They first traded away all-star closer Mark Melancon. Many people viewed this as a white flag by the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they were conceding the 2016 year.