Ben Cherington has earned the patience of Pittsburgh Pirates fans.
It’s spring training time in Bradenton. It’s the sixth season that Cherington is the Pirates’ general manager. Anything is possible. The 31-game exhibition season in the Grapefruit League commences this Saturday in Sarasota, as the Pirates open their schedule on the road against the Baltimore Orioles. Sunday, at LECOM Park, it’s the Minnesota Twins driving up from Fort Myers for the Pirates’ home opener.
As March ends, the regular MLB season gets underway.
Win. Win. Win. Every club’s fan base wants to claim the pennant and then have their favorite players hoisting the World Series championship trophy come fall. Winning and developing players is a process. It takes time. Fielding a club constantly with quality players and winning seasons isn’t like buying a lottery scratch-off ticket. Results aren’t instant.
Having been around the Pirates’; staff, players, coaches, manager Derek Shelton for three seasons, far less than the “insiders” who cover the club from February to October, I probably look at the culture and organizational make-up a bit differently.
I like how Cherington leads. He doesn’t come across as a general manager who needs reporters and cameras focused on him—quite the opposite. He answers each question with a reassuring calm.
The first day of training camp last week, Cherington dealt with the wrist injury to newly acquired Spencer Horwitz. Did the Pirates know of this injury before greenlighting the trade last December? What has Horwitz’s latest MRI shown when assessing the extent of the injury? After all, many believed Horwitz had the inside track to being the starting first baseman when camp breaks next month.
Cherington offered no hesitation when being peppered with questions. Personally, I’m learning a lot by talking less and listening more when the general manager has media availability. Seemingly putting much thought into his responses, Cherington is the smartest guy in the room.
The Pirates hired him for what he had accomplished at 50, and how that winning culture he grew with the Boston Red Sox could be duplicated with the National League Central club. A trade goes bad – there are those who immediately want to put the general manager's head on the proverbial chopping block. That seems as if what a segment of fans would want at times.
Surprisingly, according to Cherington, he tunes out the negative vibes aimed in his direction. When asked about the “not productive” comments hurled at him or the Pirates, Cherington is able to deflect the negativity and stay aware of the main theme – improving the ball club.
Speaking at LECOM Park last Thursday at the MLB Media Day event, Cherington said he understands the nature of fans’ frustration. Even when his comments are personal, he has found a way to move on unscathed. He has no choice. His position is a lonely one. His comments seemed sincere. Cherington says he is not a “social media guy.”
Every general manager must cleverly find avenues to collect players that will give his club the best chance at winning, always considering the financial restrictions that club owners require. With the Pirates having one of the lowest payrolls in the National League, Cherington’s creativity and his baseball savvy are constantly asked to work in overdrive.
On the job since November 2019, hiring current Pirates’ skipper Derek Shelton was among his first key decisions regarding Pittsburgh baseball’s future. Together, the organizational roster is quite impressive.
There’s Oneil Cruz in center field. Bryan Reynolds will hold down right field duties. Look for Tommy Pham in left field this season. There’s Joey Bart who should see a majority of the catching this season, starting pitchers Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Jared Jones are being counted on to stifling opposing batters this coming season, and a host of others who should give Pirates’ fans optimism for 2025.
Are there any guarantees that there will be no injuries? Clearly not. Will David Bednar bounce back to his all-star seasons of 2022 and 2023 coming out of the bullpen? Fingers crossed that he will.
There are several highly touted prospects in big league camp. Top draft selections Termarr Johnson, Tom Harrington, and Konnor Griffin lead the list of Pirates who will bring success to Pittsburgh for seasons to come.
Andrew McCutchen is back for a third consecutive season with the Pirates, after being away with other clubs for a few years, thanks to Cherington giving a thumbs-up to the signing.
When leading the Boston Red Sox, with the 2012 season his first as general manager, the following year the club won another World Series title. Cherington knows what it takes to win, and how to build a winning process. Remember, the last time a club won back-to-back World Series championships was in 1999 and 2000 – the New York Yankees.
Cherington remains open-minded on the day-to-day possibilities for the 2025 Pirates. He speaks of concentrating on who the Pirates already have under contract for whatever role may need to be addressed on the field.
Cherington doesn’t need me to trumpet his own horn. But he, Shelton, and the baseball operations staff have the puzzle pieces they believe can get them into the postseason. Let them finish the job they started. Connecting them all takes time. The work is being done to build the big picture.
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