Pirates fans ready to storm PNC Park after Athletic article goes scorched earth on Bob Nutting

The Pittsburgh Pirates are likely in for a rough season. Though they took some steps forward last season, they still finished in fourth place in the NL Central and are likely headed for a similar finish. Their division rivals have all spent more money than they have this offseason.

Bob Nutting, the team's owner has been the subject of criticism in recent years, as he, like several other small-market owners have been hesitant to spend big on key players, with the exception of Bryan Reynolds last April.

In a recent article in The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt and Ken Rosenthal dug into Nutting for his lack of spending and cited him as the main reason why the Pirates aren't competitive.

MLB insiders dig into Bob Nutting, Pirates

The Pirates had plans to upgrade their spring training facility for $8 million a decade ago but Nutting ultimately stated that in order for the Pirates to accomplish this, the money would have to come out the baseball operations budget, which covers payroll.

"That's what happens," said a former front-office employee. "Bob is still Bob."

In addition, the Pirates have had a bottom-five Opening Day payroll in all but three years since Nutting bought the team in 2007.

Another former Pirates employee recalled a meeting when Nutting chose to wait a day to trade a player because it would save them $30K.

"I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm hearing this," said the former employee. "This is a $10 billion industry."

Rosenthal and Nesbitt are essentially confirming the suspicions of Pirates fans. The team has been handcuffed by an owner unwilling to spend and have also made some mistakes in the draft and amateur international market.

Discord between coaches is also something that has held the Pirates back, and it even led to Ke'Bryan Hayes seeking the advice of Double-A hitting coach Jon Nunnally over team hitting coach Andy Haines.

This is something that will certainly frustrate Pirates fans. The team had a brief stretch of winning baseball from 2013-15, reaching the postseason three times. However, the team has significantly declined since then, having finished under .500 five consecutive years.

The Pirates issues remain, and fans are likely in for another tough stretch of baseball.