PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Highlights from the Ben Cherington Show as the Pirates general manager added rotation size, catching situation, David Bednar and the power-hitting addition in Alexander Canario.
5 or 6?
Cherington would not commit to eventually going to a normal five-man starting rotation. He said they will take it a turn at a time on whether a pitcher will go on four or five days of rest.
Obviously off days will play into it, but there is no commitment as to how the Bucs will handle their rotation this season. They will see how it plays out.
David Bednar
“He’s doing exactly what you expect him to do which is to be really focused on what he wanted to accomplish while he is in AAA,” Cherington said during his show on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. “It’s all about clarity for him and confidence in his mix of pitches and attacking hitters and having an opportunity to go pitch regularly to lock those things in.”
The 30-year-old is perfect in three appearances lasting a total of three innings. No walks, no hits allowed and five strikeouts in outings on April 6, 8 and 11.
“He’s been really effective, not surprisingly during his time in AAA,” Cherington said. “Also not surprisingly, his attitude has been fantastic. He’s been an incredible teammate to guys there. Obviously, Indianapolis is not where he wants to be. We know the team we want in Pittsburgh has David Bednar on it. We made this difficult choice because we felt like it gave us the best chance to give David the best chance to be the best version of himself over the course of 2025.”
“We’ll see where this goes, but he’s doing exactly what he needs to do while he is there.”
Catchers
Joey Bart
Bart left the game on Friday early with lower back pain and they are being patient, trying to keep him off the injured list. Cherington said 'hopefully he will be in the lineup before too long'.
Endy Rodriguez
Cherington said they have to remember that Rodriguez missed a full season last year with only 57 career MLB games in his pocket before this season.
“He is a switch-hitter, that alone is a little extra work,” Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan. “He’s a catcher and all that goes with that and now with the injuries, we are using him at first base too. It’s a big job description for a young player.”
“The only reason that we were comfortable considering that coming into the season was because of how much faith we have in Endy. His baseball instincts. His energy, desire for more. This is a kid that loves the game. I think what we are seeing so far is a really talented young player that is working his way back in the major leagues.”
Cherington acknowledged that he still hasn’t clicked at the plate, .190 batting average and .539 OPS entering Sunday with only three extra-base hits. He does believe Rodriguez is managing the strike zone well.
Henry Davis
Cherington said Davis remains challenged by MLB pitching, but is a legit defensive catcher at this level. The Bucs GM believes Davis’ work ethic will allow him to overcoming the hitting obstacles eventually.
New OF
Recently acquired right-hand hitting outfielder Alexander Canario hit his first Pirates home run on Saturday. The 24-year-old is 2 for 16 with the Bucs with three walks.
“In a perfect world needs really regular playing time to get unlocked and that’s difficult to provide,” Cherington said during his Sunday show. “He’s one of those players that fits into a situation where he’s a really young player out of Latin America and guys like that sometimes have to be added to 40-man rosters at a young age because they become eligible for the 40-man at a young age.”
“(We are) trying to give him as much opportunity as we can. He’s got a lot of talent, but it’s also the big leagues.
We can’t just give playing time. We saw that talent come out (Saturday). He’s got a lot of ability.”
In case you thought he might, Cherington is not concerned about Paul Skenes after his worst professional start last time out. He expects Skenes to ‘give them a chance to win’ Monday night at home.