The dot matrix numbers change constantly. It's a well-known gimmick started 25 years ago by a critic of government spending, and maintained by his heirs.
Pittsburgh needs a similarly conspicuous tote board for the Pirates' current payroll. Put it on Mt. Washington, where that big hillside sign used to flash the time and a sponsor's message.
There seems to be a constant focus on how much the Pirates are spending on players, and it's a curious obsession.
It seems to matter little whether the players are good, or whether they're signed to favorable contracts. What matters is that total, even though outspending the Pirates by $38,614,952 last season didn't do the Cubs much good.
Who got better value last season, the Yankees with the $28 million they paid Alex Rodriguez, or the Pirates for their $4.5 million investment in Andrew McCutchen?
But that overall number is the thing, and a lot of people can calculate it to the last dime at any given moment.
The Pirates had MLB's fifth-lowest payroll last season, and were fifth in winning percentage. One of the few teams they trailed was Oakland, which had an even smaller payroll.
These are facts. You can call it a one-year fluke and project doom for this season, but the numbers are indisputable. If you broke into GM Neal Huntington's spring training bungalow at 3 a.m. and zapped him with a truth ray, he would undoubtedly admit he'd rather have $150 million to spend.
Being rich is a less stressful existence, and it's pretty easy to cover mistakes when you can just write another check. Ned Colletti, the marginally-competent GM of the Dodgers, doesn't stress over what prospects are doing at Class AA when he can go out and acquire Adrian Gonzalez with little regard for the cost.
There is no doubt the Pirates run a preternaturally thrifty operation. It's going to be that way for the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean they can't be successful, as last season showed.
With MLB's alarming spike in salaries this offseason, it becomes even more important to run a quality scouting and player development system. There has to be a steady flow of genuine prospects coming up through the minor leagues.
The last two seasons produced Starling Marte and Gerrit Cole. Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco should be next.
A few of the players can be signed long-term. McCutchen already has been, and the deal looks better all the time. But there's high risk when locking up players.
The Pirates signed Jason Kendall to a six-year extension in 2000 that bought out his last year of arbitration and six years of free agency. Before it was over, the miserable Kendall was counting the hours until he could escape Pittsburgh, and the Pirates were stuck with an expensive albatross that made other acquisitions impossible.
Even when they were finally able to trade him in 2004, they had to pay part of his salary and take onerous contracts in return. Big signings are a one-day feel-good and headline; after that they're an obligation. Proceed with great caution.
MLB's grossly uneven playing field requires teams like the Pirates to be fluid, and to always look internally first. It isn't fun, and it isn't sexy. It's just reality.
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