PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It used to be you would rarely see Pirates owner Bob Nutting. Maybe he would appear as the organization handed out a few monthly employee awards on the field before a home game, but there were sparse other sightings. He would usually answer questions once a year from reporters in a mainly in a group-like setting at Spring Training. Beyond that, Nutting wasn’t visible or seemingly accountable.
It’s different now.
“This franchise is the most important thing to me, period, full stop,” Nutting said Wednesday. “We saw real success nearly a decade ago now. It's been far too long. It's time for us to get back.”
The often reserved, often criticized Bucs owner then doubled down.
“We are going to build a winner in Pittsburgh,” Nutting said. “There is nothing more important to me personally and to my family then we follow through and get that done.”
Nutting would make comments about a brighter future before, but not so demonstrative. It’s also different now, whereas before it was talk of a better tomorrow, he’s backing up some of those words with action.
Bryan Reynolds officially on Wednesday became the organization’s first $100 million player. Last year the team locked up third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes for eight years, $70 million.
“It’s a huge commitment,” Nutting told 93.7 The Fan. “It’s a commitment we don’t take lightly particularly in Pittsburgh where it’s never going to be about the total dollars we spend, but to make sure we are being prudent and allocating dollars appropriately. It is a huge step forward and Bryan deserves it.”
As Reynolds tells it, without Nutting being available to him, this deal would not have happened.
“Me and Bob had a few personal conversations that were really, really important to the whole situation,” Reynolds said. “We were able to share things about where we are at, but the main thing is that we both had the same ultimate desire. I think once we realized that, we realized this is something that needed to get done.”
“It’s important that our owner has a relationship with a player like Bryan,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington told 93.7 The Fan. “I think Bryan Reynolds and I have a good working relationship, but hearing stuff from a GM is different than hearing things from the owner. There is another level of authority. I think it was important in this process.”
“I think it’s important for players to have those conversations with the people that are ultimately signing their check, know what the commitment is and that it’s real,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton.
“I’ve said this a number of times when I first got the job, one of the things, and I use the term loosely, I challenged Bob with was his relationship with me and being in my office. I see him at least once a homestand. He comes down and talks and we go through things. The fact that the players see that. See him around BP and see him at Spring Training. That’s really important.”
Andrew McCutchen said it was conversations with Nutting that really convinced him to return. Those were important to him. The same owner that from the outside seemed disinterested in the daily business is now much more involved.
Nutting said he’s realized these players need to have a comfort level with him. They need to know he’s there and approachable. The players want to hear and read the body language from the owner, not anyone under him, of how serious they are in making this a winner.
“Part of those sessions were simply to talk about where we are going,” Nutting told 93.7 The Fan. “Why this is a great time to be a Pittsburgh Pirate. Why the next chapter of Pirates history is getting ready to be written.”
“I tell them we are going to build a winner here by infusing young talent throughout the organization in every level we can. We are going to build around it some real character, some real leadership and some real veteran presence. Much as we did in 2011-12 leading up to 2013-15. I think we are back in that same kind of moment.”
Nutting said they are not done after signing Reynolds for over $106 million.
“To a great degree, we’re just getting started,” Nutting said. “I’m confident we’ll have future steps as we go forward.”
Yes, there are plenty more steps to take, but it’s different. He’s backing up those words with significant actions. If it continues, he will live up to his promise.