MLB Rumors: Blake Snell's cold market, Pete Alonso limbo, Pirates low bar

MLB Rumors: Bob Nutting sets Pirates expectations at "contending throughout the season"

A lot of teams in professional sports will set their goals or expectations before the season. Sometimes they will strive to make the playoffs or win the division. Some teams will commit to the idea 'Championship or bust', but for the most part, anything less than a playoff berth is known as failure.

That doesn't seem to be the case for the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates, whose owner Bob Nutting recently commented on the expectations for the season saying:

"I'm not gonna pick a number of games or wins, but for the first time in what feels like a decade and maybe on the calendar is 6-7 years, we're within striking distance of a good team. We're short of that still, but the progression is clearly going in the right direction. My expectation is we take another meaningful step forward [in 2024]. With the current playoff system, another step forward means we can be in contention throughout the season."

Setting the expectations as contending sets the bar rather low, especially considering the Pirates have had top picks in the MLB Draft for the last half decade. The Pirates should have multiple top prospects taking their next step in 2024 including Oneil Cruz, Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez. Top 2023 pick Paul Skenes could fly through the minor leagues, maybe even making his debut in Pittsburgh this season.