Pirates GM Sends Message to Fans
It was another lost season for the Pittsburgh Pirates after they went 76-86 and missed the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.
While there were a few bright spots like the historic rookie season of Paul Skenes and the emergence of Jared Jones alongside him atop the Pirates rotation, overall it was another disappointing year for the Pittsburgh faithful. With the struggles the Pirates have consistently endured in recent years, general manager Ben Cherington said he understands fan's frustrations with his team.
"I understand frustration," Cherington told reporters. "I understand there are a lot of people out there who care about the Pirates and a lot of different stakeholders who care about the Pirates, including people in this room, certainly including the fans, people inside the organization and certainly our players, staff and ownership. All of those people care a lot about the Pirates, so when the outcomes aren't yet what I want them to be, what we want them to be, there is going to be frustration that comes from that. I'm fully aware of that and I accept that."
Since Cherington and manager Derek Shelton were hired in 2019, the Pirates have gone 294-414, including going 76-86 in each of the last two seasons and a pair of 100-loss seasons in the two years prior. Pittsburgh was in the thick of the playoff picture until August, when it went 8-19, including a 10-game losing streak. The Pirates were swept by a pair of playoff teams, the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, in that stretch.
Understanding fan frustration is one thing, but making the right moves to improve the team is a completely different ball of wax. It's not entirely Cherington's fault if he isn't permitted to spend big money on proven free agents to improve the team, but he's far from the only one to be dealt that hand. Other teams have found ways to navigate that problem by being able to draft and develop talent or trading for players with upside and getting the most out of them until they can't afford them anymore.
Until the Pirates show legitimate signs of progress, frustration among the fan base will persist. And if Cherington can't right the ship and get things figured out this offseason, it may be his and Shelton's last in Pittsburgh.
