Pirates owner Bob Nutting wasn’t in attendance at PNC Park on Monday afternoon when his club officially announced that Don Kelly had been extended as the Pirates manager. No one said where Nutting was, but his absence wasn’t a surprise.

Following the 2025 season, which resulted in the ninth last-place finish since he assumed primary ownership of Pittsburgh’s baseball team, it’s easy to understand why Nutting was unwilling to show his face on the North Shore. Heck, it’s something to which many of the fans that support his ball club can relate.

What Nutting missed was a glowing first press conference for his club’s manager, someone who takes over a team that openly questioned the owner’s commitment to winning. Those questions will almost certainly persist into the offseason, now that it’s

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