Pirates owner expects 'contention throughout the season' in 2024

Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting has high hopes after his team outperformed expectations last season.

"My expectation is we take another meaningful step forward (in 2024)," Nutting told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey.

"With the current playoff system, another step forward means we can be in contention throughout the season. That's a minimum expectation we should have and one we should be building on."

The Pirates started and ended the 2023 campaign with terrific results en route to a 76-win season. It was Pittsburgh's highest win total since 2018, when it won 82 games.

Nutting credited general manager Ben Cherington for orchestrating the turnaround without mortgaging the future of an organization that employs budding stars in Oneil Cruz, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jack Suwinski, and Henry Davis. However, the owner added that there's still room for improvement.

"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 in six-to-seven years, we're within striking distance of a good team," Nutting said. "We're short of that still, but the progression is clearly going in the right direction."

Nutting also said he'd like to see the Pirates do more this offseason to help the team continue its success.

The Pirates have added starting pitchers Martín Pérez and Marco Gonzales and first baseman Rowdy Tellez this winter. The club also re-signed veteran stalwart and fan favorite Andrew McCutchen.