Mark Madden: Despite growing optimism for the Pirates, front office failings can't be ignored

There is legit optimism concerning the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time in a long time. Paul Skenes is a phenom, Jared Jones isn’t far behind and Mitch Keller is a solid No. 3 starter. Their rotation could win a playoff series right now.

The trick is getting there.

That’s where the Pirates will let you down. With the organization’s effort, not just the result.

Here’s how the rest of the season will go:

The Pirates will stay at the tail end of the wild-card race deep into the campaign. (That won’t take much. The National League is terrible.)

They will make no acquisitions till very near the July 30 trade deadline.

First baseman Rowdy Tellez will stay on the team for the entire season despite minimal production. The Pirates aren’t going to DFA him, thereby paying him what’s left of his $3.2 million contract to not play for them.

The Pirates will keep moving players back and forth between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh to give the impression of doing something,

Then, near the deadline, they make a token move. They acquire a veteran bat. A rental. Nobody great but some power. The return given isn’t much. A low-level prospect. Maybe less.

Then, in September, the Pirates shut down Skenes and Jones. Pitch count, innings worked, etc. The only way that doesn’t happen will be if the Pirates lead the NL Central or are locked into a wild-card spot. (They won’t be.)

The Pirates win around 75 games, 77 at most, and miss the playoffs.

Management cites next season as the breakthrough year. The word “urgency” continues to be tossed around.

That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Absurdly transparent.

But that’s what going to happen. You watch.

Shutting down Skenes and Jones is ludicrous. You’re literally saving their arms so they can maximize free agency or so the Pirates can get the best possible return in a trade when they reach arbitration. You’re saving their arms for their next team, the New York Yankees or whoever.

But Skenes, in particular, would want shut down. His agent would want that, too. They have input.

Skenes and his agent aren’t thinking about the longshot of winning right now in Pittsburgh.

They’re thinking about long-term money and won’t do anything to risk that.

Team accomplishments don’t make you rich in sports. A World Series bonus is toilet paper: less than $500,000 per player on the winning team last season.

If the Pirates were serious about winning, they would have done more to bolster their offense this past offseason.

They knew the timetable for their pitchers, at least roughly so. They knew Skenes would be arriving this season. They knew he would be likely to excel. They knew Skenes and Jones had the potential to make the Pirates take the next step. The Pirates needed to anticipate that and get valid offensive support.

But, instead, they got Tellez, Yasmani Grandal, Michael A. Taylor, etc., because the cost was low.

Like I said, absurdly transparent.

It’s the classic long con, and it’s working.

It’s a shame because the Pirates’ rotation is reminiscent of 2014 and ’15, when San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta were dominant pitchers and handcuffed the Pirates in wild-card playoff games. The Pirates never had a chance.

Skenes and Jones aren’t quite at that level yet. But Skenes will be, and sooner, not later. You’d bet on the Pirates in a best-of-three wild-card series against almost any foe.