Bob Nutting spoke some words Monday in Bradenton.
"We’re here to win," he told the Pirates' staff and players, as Neal Huntington would later relay to reporters. "We’re here to bring World Series championship No. 6 back to Pittsburgh."
Those were words. There also have been deeds.
Nutting took over as controlling owner of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club in 2007, fully establishing his front office late that year. In the 10 full years they've worked together -- Nutting, Frank Coonelly and their general manager -- they've had three winning seasons.
Nutting cut payroll after the 2015 season saw his team reach 98 victories, then oversaw his baseball man entering the following spring training with a rotation that included Jon Niese, Ryan Vogelsong and Jeff Locke.
Nutting approved the trades of Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, exchanges in which his baseball men secured zero top-100 prospects.
Nutting cut payroll for the coming season by roughly $20 million.
Nutting has overseen his baseball men spend $0 on major-league free agents this offseason.
Nutting's team is projected to have Adam Frazier starting in left field.
Nutting will be paid $50 million this spring because of Major League Baseball's sale of a tech operation to Disney.
Nutting answered a question about that money from our Lance Lysowski a month ago like this:
No adjectives needed. No opinion needed. So I'll spare you any more written words on it.
• But hey, what's a few spoken words among friends?
• The home opener won't sell out. Not legitimately, anyway.
• The attendance at PNC Park for 2017 was 1,917,447, for an average of 23,697. That will drop to 1.5 million. There will be some completely barren scenes over there. I'm sure that will bring joy to some. I won't be among those. I prefer to think of what that place would be like if its stewards cared a fraction as much as the fans.
• Or a fraction as much as the other two franchises in town. It isn't about the salary cap, and it's beyond insulting to the Steelers and Penguins when the Pirates' front office people point to that, as they often do, even in public. It's about passion and the proper priorities.
• Where in the hell are the politicians on this?
I ask not because of any leanings but because politicians are entrusted as the stewards of the public money and the public's best interests. This institution is a big, big part of Pittsburgh, and it's one that's received -- and continues to receive -- public monies, while also openly and brazenly violating a very real public trust.
At the risk of repeating myself, yes, please. Don't think of these transactions in the usual context. It's not about whether the Penguins or the Senators get the better return. If Ottawa winds up a trade winner, so be it. The home team's goal is much more immediate and infinitely more significant.
One piece is needed. One. Think about that.
• Someone's getting voted off the island when Patric Hornqvist returns, and the likely odd forward out will be Dominik Simon. Which would be fine, given his youth and waiver-free flexibility in bobbing back and forth to Wilkes-Barre.
But don't dismiss the notion that the ultimate answer will be Conor Sheary. He's got two years left on a three-year, $9 million contract, he's one of many smaller skilled wingers on the roster, and significant money will need to be moved to fit almost any meaningful acquisition under the cap.
Have to give to get.
• Remember when Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle proudly stood behind their superstar core at the time of the Ray Shero/Dan Bylsma firings?
The thinking, expressed by both men to me at the time in emotional tones, was that the Penguins have always been a star-based team, and that there's incalculable value in that.
They've obviously been proven right, but just in case they weren't, I humbly submit for evidence the below remnant from Sunday in which Evgeni Malkin lures the entire Columbus franchise toward him like he was Magneto, clearing aside a swath the size of I-70 for Brian Dumoulin to shoot and score:
• If a point guard pulls off something like that in basketball, ESPN writes fresh poetry to celebrate it.
• Could anything possibly come across as more antiquated than a jab at ESPN?
• Here's what sticks in this craw about Arthur Moats' remarks about the Steelers' coaching to our Dale Lolley over the weekend: Don't waste everyone's time and effort investing first-round draft picks in outside linebackers, only to ask them to perform in a way they've never had to perform.
Time was, Kevin Colbert and his scouts could uncover the occasional ace pass rusher in the draft by using them differently in the 3-4. LaMarr Woodley was a brief but bold example. But this situation's different. They're drafting primarily on pass-rush pedigree -- and I'm not guessing since that's precisely what they'll detail on draft day -- then having the player spend 75 percent of passing snaps dropping back.
• First-round inside linebacker, second-round safety, third-round best available. Repeat until they're on the clock.
• I miss Pitt hoops. No snark there. No shot, either. Just a very real sentiment from someone who's long appreciated the Pete at its peak.
• One other thing related to my opening up there: Baseball is awesome. The Pirates, as an institution, as an integral part of our city's history, are awesome. Never let these guys cloud that. The institution needs new stewards.