Free debt help pittsburgh

The Brewers are for sale. The Tigers are signing free agents. The Devil Rays are adding veterans and developing youngsters at a breakneck pace. Good things are happening even in the most depressed baseball markets.

Then there is Pittsburgh.

After the Expos, who exist in a bizarre, Major League Baseball-controlled universe, the Pirates' outlook is the bleakest of any low-revenue club's. If their latest rebuilding plan fails, it could cost owner Kevin McClatchy his nerve and general manager Dave Littlefield his job.

The Pirates, entering their fourth season at gorgeous PNC Park, are reducing their payroll from $54 million at the start of last season to between $35 million and $39 million. Adding to their challenge is the economic crisis in Pittsburgh, a city that has lost population and is on the brink of insolvency.

Reduced ticket prices could help attendance, which dropped from 2.4 million in the inaugural season at PNC to 1.6 million last season, 26th in the majors. But after 11 straight losing seasons--a streak that matches the Brewers' for the game's longest--fans are skeptical about the promise of a brighter future.

"They've heard this said two, three, four times before,' Littlefield says. "There's some doubt as to when it's going to be delivered. It hasn't been delivered in the past."

Yet, as discouraging as it is for Pirates fans to bid farewell to players such as pitcher Jason Schmidt, left fielder Brian Giles and third baseman Aramis Ramirez, the team's only chance is to follow the model used by the A's, Twins and other successful low-revenue dubs: Tear down, then build up.

Catcher Jason Kendall has no place in such a reconstruction, which is why the Pirates are so eager to trade the remaining four years and $42 million left on his contract. Pitcher Kris Benson, being paid $6 million this season, also is likely to be dealt.

The Pirates feature a promising rotation and a stable of pitching prospects who figure to start making an impact in 2005. The fear is the cycle never will end, that McClatchy won't be able to afford to keep an emerging talent such as Kip Wells, whose salary will rise from $2.575 million in his next two years of arbitration, or youngsters like John VanBenschoten and Sean Burnett if they develop into stars.

McClatchy, however, deflects talk of financial trouble.

"We obviously have the (operating) capital" McClatchy says. "We're doing what we need to do to make things work. Trying to run a baseball team like a business, as bad as that might sound, is probably a very good thing to do.

"We're not going to have the tremendous losses that we've taken in the past. Just because someone is not willing to take millions in losses doesn't mean they're not capable of running the team."

McClatchy, 41, says the Pirates have lost $30 million in three seasons at PNC, a publicly financed facility that was intended to help the team become more competitive. Rather than make the usual low-revenue excuses, the owner blames himself, taking responsibility for lavishing excess millions on players such as Kendall, Kevin Young, Pat Meares and Derek Bell.

A franchise deep in upper-level prospects can overcome such mistakes, but only now are the Pirates starting to recover from Cam Bonifay's regrettable eight-year run as G.M. The farm system remains thin in position players, and Littlefield is engaging in another round of post-Christmas, bargain-basement shopping, searching for veterans he later can trade for prospects.

Since Littlefield's arrival in July 2001, the Pirates have improved their victory totals from 62 to 72 to 75. Despite the trades of numerous veterans, they ended last season on a 50-48 run. But neither McClatchy nor Littlefield pretends the team's record is anything close to satisfactory.

Low-revenue clubs need to excel at developing and acquiring inexpensive talent. Littlefield's trades have achieved mixed results. His best move was acquiring Wells and Josh Fogg for Todd Ritchie. The Schmidt deal can be salvaged only if Ryan Vogelsong becomes a quality starter. Second baseman Bobby Hill is all that remains for Ramirez and Kenny Lofton. Infielder Freddy Sanchez was the only return for Jeff Suppan and Scott Sauerbeck. The Giles trade hinges on how outfielder Jason Bay and lefthanders Oliver Perez and Cory Stewart develop.

Patience is required, but patience is thin, with one Pittsburgh columnist writing recently that McClatchy should sell the club. McClatchy, considered a savior when he bought the team in 1996 and a miracle worker for getting PNC Park constructed, says he has no plans to sell. Attracting additional investors would help, but good luck with both the team and city struggling.

"McClatchy has put his heart and soul into this," says Tom Reich, a prominent player agent, Pittsburgh native and Pirates season-ticket holder. "Yes, there have been mistakes, as there have been with most other franchises. But the city is in deep trouble economically. It's dramatically affecting not just sports, but the whole area. I'm sure they feel they have no choice but to run the team the way they're running it to survive."

The whole thing is so wrong. A team with more than 115 years of tradition and a fantastic new park should thrive.

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M@IL BONDING

KEN ROSENTHAL ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Can the Blue Jays compete with the Red Sox and Yankees in the A.L. East?

Emery Cawsey, Vancouver, B.C.

Emery: I actually think the answer is yes, even though the Jays' $50 million-plus payroll will be less than half of the Red Sox's and less than one-third of the Yankees'. The Jays improved from 78 wins in 2002 to 86 in '03, and they should be better than they were at the end of last season. Of course, the same can be said of the Red Sox and Yankees, as well as the Orioles and Devil Rays.

The Jays' offense is a given--they scored 894 runs last season, second to the Red Sox in the A.L. I like their revamped rotation, featuring Roy Halladay, Miguel Batista, Ted Lilly and Pat Hentgen. The bullpen remains more of a question, despite the additions of Justin Speier, Terry Adams and Kerry Ligtenberg.

Low-revenue clubs operate with little margin for error, but even if the Jays don't compete this season, they should in the near future. Their farm system is the best in the division, and their financial flexibility will increase markedly when they shed Carlos Delgado's $17 million salary after this season.

E-mail: kenrosenthal@sportingnews.com.

SPEED READS

* For the Cardinals to sign Albert Pujols long term, they will need to better the eight-year, $90 million they gave Scott Rolen. The solution is to offer Pujols an eight-year, $100 million deal. The contract could pay him $8 million, $10 million and $12 million in the first three years, then pay him Vladimir Guerrero's exact terms--$70 million--over the final five.

* The sudden availability of the 9.5 million on the contract of Kaz Sasaki, who opted to stay in Japan, gives the Mariners enviable options--if they choose to take advantage of them. Greg Maddux would thrive pitching at Safeco Reid. Ivan Rodriguez eventually could replace Edgar Martinez as the DH. Another possibility: acquire a corner outfielder, move Ichiro Suzuki to center and trade Randy Winn.

* Here's to Jesse Orosco, who retired last week as the all-time major league leader with 1,252 appearances. Orosco not only was effective into his 40s, but he also brought class and professionalism to every clubhouse he graced.

INSIDE DISH

By KEN ROSENTHAL