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Baseball teams of all market sizes are increasing their payrolls as money continues to find its way into the sport, and that includes the Pittsburgh Pirates, who could increase their payroll to new limits this upcoming season, according to Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Speaking at the team's fan fest event, team president Frank Coonelly said the payroll "could be approaching" $70 million in 2013. Coonelly did not guarantee anything, but it is important to note it is the first time the team has gone public with that kind of information.
Pittsburgh's payroll in 2012 ended at $61 million, the highest in franchise history, surpassing the previous high of $55 million in 2001.
Payroll? Coonelly: "We ended 2012 $61M, which was $9M higher than 2011. In 2013, WE MAY APPROACH $70 MILLION MARK."
— Rob Biertempfel (@BiertempfelTrib) December 15, 2012
The team's spending has been high when it comes to amateur talent, too, and not only free agent acquisitions, as the Pirates have spent as much as any other team in the amateur draft over the past several seasons.