Pirates fans petitioning for owner Bob Nutting to sell team

Pittsburgh Pirates fans are furious after the team traded away two of its biggest stars this offseason, and many of them have turned on ownership because of it.

A petition that was started on Change.org this week seeks to force Pirates owner Bob Nutting to sell the team. As of Thursday morning, it had already been signed by more than 22,000 people. The goal was set at 25,000 signatures.

“Pittsburgh is a baseball town that is being destroyed by a greedy owner. There are so many loyal fans who truly care and support this team through thick and thin. We deserve better,” the petition reads. “I, like many others, endured so much pain watching a losing franchise from 1993 until 2013 when we saw playoff baseball return to Pittsburgh. You could see and hear the pain we kept inside all those years being released that October night. If you have had a chance to witness that glorious night, you know Pittsburgh is a baseball town. We’ve had enough! There needs to be change from the top of the organization down. Bob Nutting needs to sell this team, so that we can see a competitive baseball team year in and year out. It is obvious that he doesn’t want to spend the money to make that happen. We need an owner who has a competitive spirit and loves the game of baseball!”

The petition went live after the Pirates traded fan favorite Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants. Pittsburgh also traded starting pitcher Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros.

While the outrage from fans is not a surprise, it should be noted that players are not happy, either. One Pirates player said in a statement this week that he would prefer that the team trades him if winning in 2018 is not a priority.

H/T Post-Gazette