BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates’ local television contract expires at the end of this season and their only option will likely be to re-sign with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
The Pirates are in a tough negotiating position because the Penguins’ contract with AT&T runs through the 2029 season. It seems next to impossible to think a new television entity would enter a market as small as Pittsburgh and have the Pirates as their primary source of programming with little inventory beyond baseball.
Comcast has regional sports networks around the United States, yet a television insider with knowledge of Comcast’s thinking told DKPittsburghSports.com that the company is “very unlikely” to start a regional sports network in Pittsburgh.
Another possibility would be Fox. Again, though, it is hard to imagine that venture working without both the Pirates and Penguins.
One other option would be for the Pirates to start their own RSN along the lines of the Yankees’ YES Network or the Red Sox’s NESN.
However, the Pirates would face many challenges if they went that route beyond the large start-up cost. Market size again would be a major factor, because there would only be a certain amount of advertising dollars available and a team-owned RSN would be competing against AT&T and the Penguins.
The Pirates don’t disclose terms of their television contracts but FanGraphs estimated the franchise made $25 million in 2016, one of the lowest in the major leagues. Without the leverage of a second option, it’s difficult to imagine the Pirates getting a windfall in their next deal.
MORE PIRATES
• The Pirates get dinged for having a middle-of-the-pack farm system and they indeed have a lack of premium prospects. Yet based on the way they have played in Grapefruit League games, Triple-A Indianapolis should have some interesting players in its lineup this season, including first baseman Will Craig, second baseman Kevin Kramer, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, shortstop Cole Tucker and outfielders Jason Martin and Bryan Reynolds. -- Perrotto
• The Pirates are borderline obsessed with utility players. That is part of the reason why they promoted Alfredo Reyes to major-league camp as a non-roster player last weekend after he was ticketed for minor-league camp. The 25-year-old quietly had one of the best seasons in the Pirates’ farm system last year as he hit .286 with a .386 on-base percentage and 35 stolen bases in 39 attempts between three levels, finishing at Indianapolis. He is more than just another warm body to fill in during exhibition games. The Pirates feel he could play in the major leagues this year. -- Perrotto
PENGUINS
• Compared to recent years, this week's NHL General Manager's meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., were rather tame. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the league seems to be in a good place -- until the next stoppage, of course. Anyhow, you might recall last season's meetings came during the uproar over goaltender interference. This year's proposals are a little more reasonable, including placing time clocks into the end boards so players won't have to look up to find one of the many scoreboards at NHL arenas. Another rule, similar to the IIHF, would require players who lose their helmet to immediately come off the ice. Another more progressive change could see teams have the right to choose whether to take a face-off on the left or right side of the ice following a penalty. Imagine the Capitals being allowed to have Alex Ovechkin set up for one of his patented one-timers from the left circle at this choosing? "It's certainly beneficial to the power play group," Mike Sullivan said. "It's just another advantage to the offensive team." All proposals await final votes at the Board of Governors meetings later this spring. -- Chris Bradford at PPG Paints Arena
• Another minor rule change aimed at player safety would require helmets to be worn during the pre-game skate. Not sure if this was an idea floated by Jim Rutherford, but the Penguins would certainly be an interested party. It was earlier this season that Patric Hornqvist took a puck off the forehead in pre-game, opening a cut that required stitches. Hornqvist didn't miss any game action but Sullivan then requested that Hornqvist start wearing his helmet full-time. He had been the last Penguin to go sans helmet in pre-game. While player safety is commendable, for many fans, and I can speak for my younger self, the pre-game skate was the only opportunity to sit or stand near the glass to see NHL players up close. If a player chooses to go without a helmet in pre-game, it should be his choosing, not the league's. -- Bradford
• All modern NHL players owe a sizable debt of gratitude to Ted Lindsay, who died this week at the age of 93. In the post-World War II era, Lindsay was the league's most-outspoken player and his failed attempt to form a players' union in the mid-'50s was crucial to what we now know as the NHLPA. Today, the league's average salary is almost $3 million annually. A moment of silence was held in memory of Lindsay this week, including in Pittsburgh where Bob Errey, a third cousin to Lindsay, shared some of his best memories of the player known as "Terrible Ted" for his combative playing style. During his Red Wings days in the mid-'90s, Errey said it was not uncommon to find the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Lindsay, then in his late 60s, lifting weights in the training room at Joe Louis Arena. -- Bradford
STEELERS
• We could find out as soon as today what the Steelers will receive in return for Antonio Brown, much to the relief of all of Pittsburgh. Given the team's signings of both Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster Thursday, it stands to figure the team isn't going to be all that active in free agency. Because the salary cap was set at $188.2 million, $2 million less than expected, the Steelers don't have a huge windfall of cap space. In fact, prior to making their moves with Pouncey and Foster, the Steelers had $11.8 million in cap space. Cap space gets eaten up rather quickly, which is why the team won't be making moves for big-name free agents. Some people have wondered where the money went. After all, the Steelers haven't made any big signings. But, for example. Brown's 2018 cap hit was just $7.9 million. It jumps to just over $22 million in 2019. That's a $14-million difference by itself. Remember, the Steelers re-worked a number of deals last spring to lower cap hits on key players, Cam Heyward, David DeCastro and Stephon Tuitt among them. Now, those players all count more against the cap this year. -- Dale Lolley at Rooney Complex
• Now that Foster and Pouncey's deals have been taken care of, expect a Ben Roethlisberger contract announcement rather quickly -- perhaps by today. -- Lolley
• So how do they create more space? They'll do it, as needed. A lot of people have been suggesting they simply release Morgan Burnett since he requested they do so. But after acquiescing to Brown on his trade demands, the Steelers could play hardball with Burnett. There's a good chance they won't do anything with Burnett unless they deem it necessary or find an adequate replacement. Releasing Burnett before June 1 would save the team $3.6 million against the salary cap in 2019. If they wait until after June 1 or designate his release for after that date, the savings in 2019 go up to just over $5 million, which, along with the $1 million they save by trading Brown, would cover the estimated $6 million it will take to pay their rookie class. So, the Steelers only have about $10 million to spend in free agency, unless they make moves other than simply cutting Burnett and trading Brown. -- Lolley
• The Steelers' signing of defensive lineman Tyson Alualu might have raised an eyebrow or two since he wasn't quite as effective in 2018 as he had been in 2017. But with only the three starting defensive linemen under contract, the Steelers figured getting Alualu on the cheap was a solid move. Alualu's deal was for two years at $5.75 million. But it's essentially a one-year deal for the 32-year-old if the Steelers choose to go in that direction. Alualu counts $2.125 million against this year's cap. That number goes up to $3.635 million in 2020, but it would cost the Steelers just $875,000 to release him after this year. -- Lolley
