PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – In terms of finding ways to improve the Pirates, general manager Ben Cherington said there is nothing off the table. They will look at any way to acquire a player, even if that means trading prospects. He also is bullish on the Pirates in free agency.
"I think the Pirates are a very attractive place for free agents to consider," Cherington said on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. "I think people will see we are improving, taking steps. Players around the game know this is a great place to play, I think anytime, but particularly when we get more competitive and win. This is an incredible place to play."
Cherington said there is a reputation out there that the Pirates take care of their players. That they have a lot going for them as an organization and it's a great city to live in. Some of that comes from the way they finished the season. The Bucs GM said it was important they played good baseball against good to great teams down the stretch.
"We feel good with how competitive we've been, we've made progress, not just in the win column, but underneath the hood," Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. "We are better in a number of areas, but it's not enough. We are certainly not satisfied. The work it takes to go from last year to this year and the next step will be harder. It won't be easier, it will be harder to get to where we want to be which is to be one of those teams playing in October. 100% of our focus is to be one of those (playoff) teams next year."
He said for that to happen they all need to do their jobs really well. That goes from the scouts searching for more talent. The coaches continuing to grow the young players. The players themselves making progress and accomplishing their offseason goals and Cherington and his staff making important roster decisions.
"I believe we made progress and gotten better and we believe we understand why," Cherington said. "We are focused on continued improvement. There is a great opportunity in front of us, but talk is cheap."
Rotation
If there is a glaring area in need of improvement it's the starting rotation moving forward. Cherington admits they have to continue to get better, more consistent and deeper. He said the organizational belief is that you need to have 10 starting pitchers who can win in the majors every year. The Pirates don't have that right now and he acknowledges that.
That being said Cherington said they are closer. He pointed out some young pitchers that have a chance to be a part of it next year, some we saw at times in the majors this season-Luis Ortiz, Quinn Priester, Roansy Contreras-each had their moments, both positive and negative. with Contreras seemingly taking the biggest step backward. They will be part of that group and he also mentioned their number one draft pick Paul Skenes along with Jared Jones, Anthony Solometo, Bubba Chandler and Jackson Wolf. All of those pitchers need improvement and he said they've talked to all of them about their offseason goals. They need to put in the work to be a part of that mix.
The reality they need at least one additional pitcher from the outside, if not multiple. The step needed that instead, or in addition to, giving reclamation projects like Rich Hill or Vince Velasquez a chance to find old glory. They need an established pitcher in the prime of his career. When the Pirates took that next step last decade, they added Francisco Liriano and AJ Burnett. That's the type of move they need to make to truly take the next step.
Cruz control
Cherington said Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is making really good progress returning from the broken ankle which limited him to nine games in 2023. He said Cruz is going everything right now that a baseball player needs to do. The plan is for Cruz to go back home to the Dominican Republic for a few days and then report to Bradenton, Florida. He will then be evaluated and they will decide in the next couple of weeks if there is an opportunity to get him in competitive games somewhere.
Whether that happens or not, Cherington said he is confident Cruz is heading in the right direction. He admitted what most of us knew that he's a very important player for them going forward.
