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Ever since the Florida Marlins were called out for economic trangressions in the 2008 season last month, some skeptics have waited for the other shoe to drop at any moment.

If any of them expect to see a large footprint at PNC Park in the near future, then he may be disappointed.

Team president Frank Coonelly was adament that the Pirates had been in full compliance with the collective bargaining agreement despite speculation to the contrary in recent weeks.

"I can't speak to the Marlins situation or the fact that we're at the disposal of the commissioner's office and players association as they made their determination," Coonelly told Pirates Report in a lengthy interview at the annual Winter Caravan last week. "What I can speak to is our commitment to utilize all of our resources including revenue sharing dollars that we've received through the collective bargaining agreement to improve the club on the field.

"We are, have been and will continue to be transparent with both the commissioner's office and the players union in respect to how we utilize our resources. I'm confident the Pittsburgh Pirates have acted consistently within the framework of the collective bargaining agreement our plan to build a winning team here."

Under the terms of the collective bargaining, each team is obligated to provide an in-depth account of its expenditures each year.

"We've done that ever since the start of revenue sharing," Coonelly said. "Our reports are extremely detailed as we explain exactly how we've invested our money, whether it's being one of the most prolific spenders in the draft among all major league teams over the last two years, having a significant increase in spending for player development or stepping up our international spending both in terms of scouting and signing players."

Because the Pirates reside in the same neighborhood as the Marlins in major league payroll -- the two teams finished 28th and 30th last season, respectively -- a number of fans and media assumed they were next on the hit list.

Yet while payroll is the most obvious barometer of commitment to the on-field product, a franchise can spend its revenue sharing dollars in any number of areas that meet the guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement.

"In terms of the media, the problem is that they don't know the facts and simply speculate often times," Coonelly said. "After the Marlins settlement came out, some less responsible members of the media simply speculated that this club has to be next, that club has to be next or this club has to be next.

"Obviously, some of those media members pointed to the Pirates as having to be next. Well, first of all, who said anyone has to be next? The fact that there was a settlement based on the individual circumstances of the Marlins doesn't mean there is a next target.

"It is not right to simply look at what is spent on major league payroll and say, 'OK, the Marlins were the lowest (in payroll), so who is the next lowest? They're next (to be reprimanded). That's irresponsible journalism and comes from people that obviously don't understand the basic agreement and its requirements."

According to the numbers released by the commissioner's office, similar small-market franchises such as the Cincinnati Reds ($72.7 million) and Milwaukee Brewers ($90.0 million) allocated significantly more money than the Pirates ($48.0 million) to player salaries at the major league level. The figures include members of the final 40-man rosters.

Instead, the Pirates continued to place the emphasis on player development, a decision they maintained was born out of necessity, not design. As a result, some higher-priced veterans were traded in return for younger prospects with greater potential, moves that proved to be unpopular among some fans and media in many cases.

Months later, the Pirates believe the depth of talent throughout the organization is greater than it has been in recent memory. According to Baseball America, their farm system has jumped from 26th to 16th overall in a span of two years. More than one team official believes it is several spots better than that.

In the meantime, the Brewers have not won a playoff series since the 1982 season, while the Reds are winless in the postseason since the 1990 campaign. In the last 19 years, the Brewers and Reds combined to win one postseason game, five fewer than the Pirates totaled in the same period.

Nonetheless, because of the dearth of marquee names on the Pirates roster, some are left to believe that team management has not made an honest attempt to improve the product. To find concrete evidence, one would have to travel to the Dominican Republic, where the organization opened a $5.4-million academy last spring.

While the Marlins promised to increase payroll in advance of their move to a new ballpark in the 2012 season, Coonelly said it would take a phone call from the commissioner's office to divert from the immediate plan. "We need to be a championship-caliber team again, and the way we will do it is to build a strong core from within," he said. Coonelly added that he would like nothing better than to have the team progress far enough to increase its payroll, which he expected to be in the $40- to $45-million range this season.

In April, major league teams will be required to file their financial reports for the 2009 season. A short time later, the commissioner's office and the players union will begin the lengthy review process.

Said Coonelly, "Once again, I'm very comfortable that, as they have in the past, the commissioner's office and the players union will conclude that the Pirates have used their resources consistent with the basic agreement."

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TomTom
02-02-10 9:07 PM »Report Comment Abuse	"What I can speak to is our commitment to utilize all of our resources including revenue sharing dollars that we've received through the collective bargaining agreement to improve the club on the field." I wonder if the MLBPA has the same interpretation of "club on the field"?

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