The Pirates are searching for answers after a collapse down the stretch for the second straight year, and owner Bob Nutting doesn't sound willing to take any options off the table as he attempts to address the team's struggles.
↵↵↵"We’re all frustrated by and upset with the performance and seriously looking at what do we need to do both to finish the year appropriately and make sure this isn’t something we ever see again," Nutting said.
↵He declined to specify whether changes could include shaking up the front office or coaching staff.
↵"I don’t think it’s ever fair to speculate on people’s jobs," he said. "My approach has always been to fully support the team we have in place, and when it’s time to make a change, we make a change."
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Manager Clint Hurdle has come under fire for his bizarre tactical decisions this year, and if the Pirates continue to fall apart, it will be fair to question his leadership as well. General manager Neal Huntington is a complicated case, but he arguably hasn't received enough return for the Pirates' considerable investments in the draft, and he continues to struggle to find productive players on the free-agent market (although it's fair to note that it's very hard to find good players for the amounts of money the Pirates appear to be willing to spend). The outline of Huntington's plan has been right, and he's made plenty of nice moves -- I really liked his acquisitions of Wandy Rodriguez and Travis Snider at this year's trade deadline, for example. But Nutting probably still ought to think hard about Huntington's status this offseason.
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