Dunlap: Pirates Could Earn PR Victory In Martin Situation
There have been times the Pirates have stumbled on their own feet.
Times the Pirates --- particularly the front office members --- have put a foot in their mouth.
Times, also, when the organization has been subjected to having a false narrative hanging over their head and having it stretch to the point where people (unfairly) accept it as truth.
No matter the situation, I'm certain many of us can agree the organization hasn't necessarily had the most spotless of public relations records.
There was that time Batman put them on blast as an invited guest, the time there was that silly little rift with that barmaid in Kennedy Township and even now --- while I feel it is entirely just to raise ticket prices --- some people feel the need to crow about the cost of admission jumping a few bucks for next season.
In addition, the Pirates are in the midst of dealing --- both on and off the field --- with what looks like will be the loss of catcher Russell Martin in free agency, as he not surprisingly turned down a qualifying offer early this week and has begun to shop his services.
It has been reported by Bruce Levine on CBS Chicago that Martin has been courted heavily by the Cubs and that while the Pirates are also still in the mix, so too are the very-willing-to-spend Dodgers and Blue Jays.
It has been knocked around that Martin is seeking a five-year deal; his earnings could reach upwards of $80 million.
Quite simply, the Pirates can't do that --- it would cripple them and be fiscally irresponsible.
But here's where the public relations opportunity comes in for the hometown nine…
If (many think "when") Martin signs with another team in free agency, the Pirates have an opportunity to save a ton of face by being 100 percent forthright and blunt and making sure the exact terms of what they offered Martin are somehow disseminated to the public.
Actually, to be honest here, that's their only way to save face if (many think "when") Martin decides to skip Pittsburgh for another town.
It would be rare for a general manager --- Neal Huntington in this case --- to come right out and unambiguously confirm the exact details of the contract offer the Pirates made to Martin. Rather, the backchannels could --- and should --- be worked and Pirates brass must get those exact terms to a media member or members and have it disseminated to the public that way.
Heck, Neal, I'll do it for you. You have my cell.
Frank Coonelly does, too.
The way I see it, Pirates fans have paid it forward by jamming that ballpark the past few seasons and the Pirates should be offering Martin --- as a show of faith to fans --- a three-year contract in the neighborhood of $54-58 million.
If that's the number, I'd be satisfied. If it is lower than that, I won't.
But there should be an obligation --- moral in a sense --- for the Pirates to get that number out once this process is all finished.
If (many think "when") Martin takes his catching equipment and acumen for pitch-framing to another city in the coming days, Pirates fans will be left to speculate if the organization is cheap unless a key member of the front office gets exact figures into public view.
Only then can the public decide.
Losing Martin will set the Pirates back behind the plate, there is positively no question about that. However, if (many think "when") that happens, the organization has an opportunity to get things right in a public relations sense if they let a fan base that has been so loyal --- especially over the past few seasons --- somehow know exactly what they were willing to pony up for Martin.
If the Pirates don't leak those numbers, don't blame the fans for being blindly upset.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weeknights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
You May Also Be Interested In These Colin Dunlap Columns
Like The Fan On Facebook
Follow The Fan On Twitter
