Pirates quiet angry mob outside PNC Park with classic Mitch Keller news drop

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an eye on contention for this time in awhile. The Pirates last made the playoffs in 2016, when they lost the NL Wild Card Game to Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs.

As bad as the Pirates have been, hey have a few young core pieces signed long term, including Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes and now Mitch Keller. Ideally, Oneil Cruz could come next if he's able to successfully return from a fractured fibula.

Keller's extension, with is obviously great news, comes suspiciously close to what can only be described as a deserved Pirates hit piece published by The Athletic on Wednesday.

The Pirates have mismanaged their assets for quite some time, with a rare breakthrough in the mid-2010's that says far more about the players involved when you realize what they were up against. The only mainstay from one era to another is the man upstairs, Bob Nutting, who refuses to put his money where his mouth is. The entire article is worth a read.

Mitch Keller extension is a rare win Pittsburgh Pirates fans deserve

The Pirates haven't had much go right for them in the last 30 years. The early-90's Buccos were led by Jim Leyland and Barry Bonds, but infamously were torn apart thanks to Sid Beam and the Atlanta Braves. Since then, there have been brief glimpses of hope, and far too many letdowns.

Ben Cherington's way of doing things is...interesting, to say the least. Some believe he's far too reliant on analytics and unique models of success. Keller, at least so far, is a rare success story who has developed within the organization.

There were a few hiccups, yes, but in the last two seasons Keller has emerged as the ace of the Pirates pitching staff with more help along the way. Keller signed a five-year, $77 million extension to stay in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Keller made his first All-Star Game in 2023, which also led to a tough second half shortly thereafter. The Pirates are clearly baking on Keller being the ace they saw in the first half. If so, that's another team-friendly deal for Bob Nutting and Co.