PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s not whether the Pirates are going to make trades, GM Ben Cherington said Sunday they are trying to focus in on the options and make sure they are the ones that will make the franchise better.
“We can’t force it,” Cherington said. “We got to stay disciplined and not do something we don’t believe in just because it brings back a position player that might look a little bit better on the roster. So we got to stay disciplined.”
Cherington said there is a lot of price-checking going on right now as teams gage if the cost for a move will change over the next few days. He said the price for current MLB players is the highest, they are into acquiring those players. They also have to keep their options open.
“We also got to know in Pittsburgh, and in a lot of cases we are going to be acquiring players who are not fully proven yet,” Cherington said. “Who we believe can contribute, whether it’s on the pitching side or position player side in the near term that aren’t fully proven yet. Just as important part of getting better is really doing that really well. Acquiring those less proven players and bring them into an environment where they can thrive and get better.”
Cherington said they’ve been more successful in doing that with pitching over position players to this point. It’s about identifying the skills and qualities they are betting on. What players can they get that and what type of players can their staff improve.
The Pirates general manager said this is not a salary dump and made that clear, but they tell teams they are open-minded to trade options. He said the phones have been consistently busy since the All-Star game, but not really any more than normal.
There is not only a willingness, but a desire for Cherington to be active at the trade deadline. It’s a major source of where he said they can find the talent to improve. Cherington said you aren’t going to bat 1.000, but it will put the team in a stronger position.
“I believe trades has to be something that we are willing to do and a lot over time,” Cherington said. “If you look at teams that are succeeding that are most similar to us, they are getting a lot of value through trades. They don’t win every one of them. They don’t get every one right, but they get enough over time that adds up. We have to do the same thing.”
“It’s clear to me there are lots of things we can and will be able to do between now and Thursday. I think way more important is what are the things we want to do and believe in and believe fit into that goal of putting this team in a better position next March.”
-don’t have to trade players on expiring contracts
“It’s very clear to me over time you aren’t going to bat 1.000. That really isn’t the goal, it’s to put the Pirates in a stronger position. I believe trades has to be something that we are willing to do and a lot over time. If you look at teams that are succeeding that are most similar to us, they are getting a lot of value through trades. They don’t win every one of them. They don’t get every one right, but they get enough over time that adds up. We have to do the same thing.”