Selig: MLB has no issue with Pirates' finances
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Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball, announces a program for scholarships for the underprivileged to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison last night at Miller Park. At left is the university's chancellor, Biddy Martin. -
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, center, is flanked by Rollie Fingers, left, and Hank Aaron as they pose with other players for a picture after a ceremony to unveil the statue of Selig outside Miller Park in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Selig is the former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers.
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MILWAUKEE -- Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Friday that he has no issues with the Pirates' finances in light of the team recently divulging that it made $35 million in profits from 2007-09 and distributed $20.4 million of that to ownership for taxes and repaid loan interest.
At the same time, Selig appeared to applaud team president Frank Coonelly's statement last week that the Pirates could have a "meaningful" increase in payroll for 2011.
Asked if he would prefer to see the Pirates' payroll increase, Selig replied, "Well, that's up to them. But I've read already where they said they were going to do that. And so, that's fine, sure. They said they're going to do it."
Coonelly told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Aug. 20: "We have the capacity to add to payroll in a meaningful way. We'll be evaluating the trade market and free agency and, if we see a player or players we like, we'll be aggressive." In a later interview, Coonelly said on the same topic, "I've already said we have the capacity to -- I didn't say we would -- increase payroll next year and going forward."
The Pirates' 40-man roster payroll projects to finish the season at $44 million, lowest in the majors. The likeliest target for an increase, according to team sources, would be in the range of $50 million, which still would be among the lowest in the majors.
Selig told the Post-Gazette in September that he had no issue with the Pirates' finances and that he never received a complaint from a team owner or the players' union. He reiterated both Friday, adding that all teams and the union had access to all figures before the recent leaks of five teams' books to the Associated Press and Deadspin.com.
Selig cited as evidence of his stance on the union front a meeting between the Pirates and the union's new chief, Mike Weiner, during spring training in Bradenton, Fla. That was aimed -- and succeeded -- at heading off a union complaint similar to the one that prompted the Florida Marlins to pass the Pirates in spending this year.
First Published August 28, 2010 12:00 am
