Freese calls out Pirates for not trying hard enough to win

David Freese knows a thing or two about winning the big one. When he was a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, he cemented himself as a franchise hero by tying Game 6 of the World Series in the ninth inning with a RBI triple before smoking a walk-off home run in the 11th.

It's different in Pittsburgh. Freese doesn't think the Pirates are trying hard enough to win.

"The last two years, we didn't do as well as we could have because of our environment. That's what I think," the third baseman told John Perrotto of the Associated Press. "I walk in every day, and the demand to win just hasn't been in the air. That's what you need."

Things may get tougher before they improve. The Pirates traded away outfielder Andrew McCutchen and ace right-hander Gerrit Cole over the offseason to help initiate a rebuild. Freese argued that the consistent recent success of Pittsburgh's other major sports franchises should spark Pirates management and ownership to be equally aggressive about trying to win.

"You look at Steelers and the Penguins, then you've got the Pirates," Freese said. "If I'm handling the situation, I'd be losing sleep trying to compete (with) those other two teams. To have all three teams in a city like Pittsburgh on top of each league, that would be incredible."

The Pirates face a difficult road in 2018, as division rivals like the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cardinals have all made significant roster additions through trades, free agency, or both. After reaching the postseason in three consecutive years, the Pirates have fallen short twice in a row. Their odds don't look much better for this coming season.