The Pittsburgh Pirates tried. That's what they want you to think, after all.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting is one of the cheapest chairmen in sports. Pittsburgh routinely ranks near the bottom of baseball in payroll, and this is despite having the reigning NL Cy Young winner on their roster. With CBA negotiations looming, Nutting wants nothing more than a salary cap to increase parity in MLB, and give him a reason to spend as little as humanly possible on his team. Ultimately, it always comes down to the bottom line.
Why did the Pirates make an offer to Kyle Schwarber?
For Nutting, offering Schwarber a four-year deal that was likely worth over $100 million was a win-win. First, should Schwarber accept – which he won't, there are larger deals available to him – then the Pirates get better, and Nutting is finally the hometown hero he's always wanted to be.
If Schwarber turns down Nutting's offer, then he receives proof (at least in his mind) that the biggest stars in baseball will never give small-market teams the shot they deserve. That'll be proven two-fold when Schwarber eventually stays with the Phillies, or signs elsewhere.
Nutting is not some evil billionaire plotting in the corner of the Pirates team facilities, but in the last year alone he threw a surfside advertisement on the Clemente Wall, thus blocking his number, and disregarded fan opinion by dumping Bucco Bricks at a recycling plant. Nutting needs a win, and if making a lowball offer to some top-tier free agents the Pirates never had a chance at signing to begin with helps, then so be it. But that won't buy him any good will with the players.
Where do the Pirates go from here?
No, Pittsburgh isn't going to sign Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso for that matter, despite some reported interest. However, the Pirates will add a bat or two, and likely one you've heard of. FanSided's Robert Murray reported that Pittsburgh has been active in free agency, even if their expectations might be a bit unrealistic.
"The Pirates have been connected to almost every free agent bat imaginable. They had serious interest in Josh Naylor. I doubt they land Kyle Schwarber. So that leaves a few options such as Jorge Polanco, Ryan O’Hearn and J.T. Realmuto, among others. I expect the Pirates to land a meaningful bat and add other pieces on offense. On Polanco: he has interest from the Mariners, and Seattle would like him back," Murray wrote last week.
While not the caliber player of Schwarber or Alonso, O'Hearn and Polanco can be had at a more affordable price, and would instantly slide into the middle of the Pirates lineup. That says more about the players these free agents would be replacing than anything else.
An MLB lockout seems like a matter of time
An MLB lockout seems like a matter of when, not if, and the Pirates aren't helping. Pittsburgh had one of the lowest payrolls in MLB again last season. Players have started complaining to the league office about the likes of Pittsburgh, Miami and Tampa Bay, and their lack of relevance in free agency and the trade market. For these organizations, it's rinse and repeat. Even when, say, the Pirates are competitive, they often shop their best players, leaving the fanbase to pick up the pieces.
Players don't want a salary cap, yet enough small-market owners are vehement about doing so in hopes of saving money. In their eyes, the best argument to make is one for parity, and they do have a point. If enough owners choose not to spend on on-field talent, then it dynasties in the making like the Dodgers have fewer threats. There's only so much the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and Co. can do when the vast majority of small-to-mid-market teams aren't meeting the bar.
One Pirates offer to Schwarber only has so much sway. But when it comes to establishing some sort of a salary cap system, Nutting might have his trump card.