As reported by the Tribune Review, tensions recently flared between Gerrit Cole and the Pirates’ management.
As a quick primer, Cole was upset at the club’s offer for his 2016 salary. While the initial offer was for $538,000, general manager Neal Huntington later admitted that figure to be a mistake. The final offer, signed by Cole, is for $541,000.
For those who may not know, any MLB player with 0-3 years of service (or, “Pre-Arbitration”) is subject to the league minimum salary of $507,500. Individual teams may set their own salary practices from that starting point, as the Pirates have shown. As reported, the team’s maximum raise that it gives any pre-arb player comes in at $7,000.
The low-hanging fruit that many fans seem eager to partake in would be the long-standing criticism that the team is, well, cheap. There are also those that can see through the agent-speak that is clearly a part of this story. Cole is represented by Scott Boras, long regarded as one of the shrewdest representatives in the business, as well as one of its most ruthless.
While no one will feel sorry for Cole, who signed the largest signing bonus in team history upon joining the club. But it is easy to see his side of the “dispute.” Since debuting in 2013, Cole has seen a steady rise to assuming the mantle of the team’s unquestioned number one starter, if not a true “ace” by some arbitrary definition.
The framework is in place due to collective bargaining, it is entirely incumbent upon the Pirates to create their own in regards to pre-arb salaries. It can easily be characterized as disappointing to see a team that is so forward thinking in many areas (defensive shifting, pitch framing, regular player rest) appear short sighted in this arena.
Much has been made previously of the team’s frayed relationship with the departed Neil Walker, a relationship that felt the strain when the two sides went to the negotiating table and laid bare all of their frustrations with each other. It is easy to wonder what may have happened between the two had the club taken steps early in Walker’s career to show good faith.
Is history repeating itself with Cole?
Perhaps not. The Pirates were already behind the eight-ball in keeping Cole’s services past his arbitration years. Considering his agent’s reputation and the position he plays, Cole will demand a salary that far outweighs the team’s ability to field a competitive offer.
The inflexibility shown by the team here won’t affect that outcome. But it may be felt the next time the team attempts to lock up talent before their true market value is shown.
Any successful organization will often perform self-audits to avoid falling into dogmatic and outdated processes.
Perhaps the Pirates should look at how they adapted on-the-field and realize that maintaining that same ability to embrace change can work off-the-field as well.
