Ben Cherington Gives Honest Response to Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are heading toward their ninth straight season without a playoff appearance and seventh in which they've finished in fourth or fifth place in the National League Central.
It wasn't all bad for the Pirates (67-76) this season, but the fact of the matter is that 2024 will prove to be another lost season for general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton. With the story of this season nearing its end for the Pirates, Cherington spoke on his weekly radio show about the team and noted that while his team has taken steps in the right direction, he wants them to expedite the process.
"I think we're improving," Cherington said. "Also, we're not improving by enough yet, and not fast enough. I think all of that is true. We're getting better. We see that in how players are coming onto the major league team and how that sets us up. But at some point, at the same time, I believe it was Bill Parcells who said, 'You are, who you are, who you are.' You've gotta be honest about that. What it's telling us is that we need to improve more. We need to make that improvement. We need to make that improvement faster, all the time."
The Pirates have gone 285-404 since Cherington was hired as the general manager in 2019.
At 67-76, Pittsburgh is on pace to finish with a similar record to last season at 76-86. The Pirates were in the hunt for a playoff spot heading into August, but going 8-19 effectively sank any chance they had of reaching the postseason.
The rookie seasons of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones are bright spots for Pittsburgh. Skenes, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA over 19 starts and has struck out 142 batters in 114 innings pitched. Jones is 6-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 19 starts.
The one-two punch of Skenes and Jones is something Pittsburgh can build around for years to come, but if it's going to maximize their potential, they need more from their position players outside of Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates' answers will likely come from a farm system that's ranked 20th by MLB.com.
Cherington lauded the depth of the Pirates' system, specifically with their position players. Of the team's top 30 prospects, 17 are position players.
"I think in terms of the position player group, it's the deepest we've been at the highest levels certainly since I've been with the Pirates," Cherington said. "Now, not all of those players have developed into contributing major league players yet. There are guys who are still working through things. But just in terms of the overall depth of position player talent, I do think it's the deepest we've had since I've been with the Pirates."
Pittsburgh is undoubtedly in a better position than it was when Cherington first took over, but the results will have to improve at some point. If those results don't improve quickly, Cherington's standing will be on shakey ground either until things turn around or the Pirates choose to go in another direction.
NATHANIEL MARRERO