Bob Nutting had every reason to smile before the Pittsburgh Pirates played their home opener Friday, as PNC Park was abuzz with anticipation for the major league debut of Konnor Griffin.
The energy inside the ballpark was decidedly different because the Pirates pumped up their Opening Day payroll north of $100 million for the first time in franchise history by adding All-Stars in second baseman Brandon Lowe, first baseman/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna and left-handed reliever Gregory Soto.
The arrival of Griffin, a 19-year-old shortstop who is baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect, gives the Pirates another potential superstar to pair with National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.
“Opening Day is always special. It’s always one of my favorite days of the year, watching people coming back into the ballpark and welcoming fans back in,” Nutting told TribLive. “But today really feels different, and it’s special for a couple reasons. We spent so much time over the past several years building a strong core. To be able to supplement into that core as we were able to this offseason and the added excitement of having Konnor up for his debut here at PNC Park, this will be a special day and a kickoff to a really special season.”
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting talks about pumping up the payroll and his expectations for the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/RQInoB85Gq
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 3, 2026
A year ago, the Pirates chairman bore the brunt of fan frustration with the direction of the franchise following six consecutive losing seasons. An offseason that began with billboards demanding that he sell the team became a boiling point, as a plane carrying a banner that read “SELL THE TEAM BOB” circled the ballpark before the home opener. It became a regular chorus from fans during low moments in games.
“Honestly, I really respect and appreciate our fans. I really respect and appreciate the concern last year. People were angry. They deserved to be. I understand that. It means they love the team and they care. If you care enough to get an airplane to fly over the ballpark, you really care deeply about the team,” Nutting said. “I’ve always cared deeply about the team. I continue to and I’ve tried to make the decisions, whether they’re popular or unpopular, that I believe were in the best interest of building a long-term, sustainable winner here in Pittsburgh.
“I think persevering through last year had some tough pieces for the team and for me personally, I think moving forward in a direction that we have conviction in and faith in and confidence in. What brought us to here, we changed course midway through last year. If we just started over, we’d have five years ahead of us. I’m glad we didn’t lose faith. I’m glad we kept moving forward. I think that’s what put us here.”
Not only did the Pirates fire manager Derek Shelton on May 8 amid a 12-26 start and promote bench coach Don Kelly, a Mt. Lebanon and Point Park alum who played for the team in 2007, but Nutting became more involved with pushing the team to become more competitive.
Team president Travis Williams announced something of a mandate for the 2026 season: “We’re looking in 2026 to make the playoffs. Period. Full stop.” The Pirates promised to be aggressive in trade talks and free agency and have a projected payroll of $102,058,886, per Ethan Hullihen, who tracks MLB spending.
Nutting reiterated his stance that the Pirates’ intention every season is to build a playoff contender but insisted that in a small MLB market like Pittsburgh it is necessary to build a foundation first. The Pirates signed outfielder Bryan Reynolds and right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller to long-term contracts and promoted first-round picks in infielder Nick Gonzales, catcher Henry Davis and Skenes to the majors, along with a top-15 prospect in pitcher Bubba Chandler.
“What we came into this year was a very strong rotation, a strong foundational core — much of that developed internally — and what we clearly saw last year was a real need for offense,” Nutting said. “So we had a narrow, laser focus on adding to those pieces that we need to make real change from the 2025 team.
“The other piece we really needed to focus on was culture, inside the clubhouse and organizationally. And we put a laser focus on that. You look at what Donnie has done with his coaching staff. His leadership is going to be exactly what we need. He embodies the grit, resilience, perseverance — those Pittsburgh attributes — and I think he can lead a solid core with some good additions to become something really special this year.”
Coming off a 91-loss season, their seventh consecutive losing campaign and ninth in 10 years, Nutting hopes that the Pirates can snap a 10-year playoff drought and recapture the “incredible” wild-card run of 2013-15.
“That’s the high point of my business life, career, baseball life,” Nutting said. “And I really do believe that we are at that point where we have the foundation built, we’ve added the right pieces and we have the right leader in place, the right culture in place. I couldn’t be more excited about 2026.”