PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t simply end a streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons in 2013, they smashed it.
Pittsburgh won 94 games, made the playoffs and pushed St. Louis to the brink in the NL division series. Now comes the hard part, staying near the top.
The Pirates will have several big decisions to make in the offseason, including whether to try and re-sign pitcher A.J. Burnett and lure back waiver deadline acquisitions Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau.
General manager Neal Huntington says the team needs to remain budget conscious going forward. The Pirates put together a payroll of $73 million this season.
Owner Bob Nutting says his team can stay competitive at that figure as long as the Pirates are smart about how they spend money.
