Cherington signals more moves are coming, as the Pirates bolster their roster with proven talent, aiming to win.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made quite a departure from their usual offseason approach this winter. Instead of subtracting veterans, they are adding experienced players.
On Thursday, the Pirates finalized a two-year, $29-million contract with free agent first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn. It was the second proven left-handed hitter that the Pirates acquired in less than a month after trading with the Tampa Bay Rays for second baseman Brandon Lowe on Dec. 19. Both O’Hearn and Lowe were selected to last season’s All-Star Game.
The Pirates’ busy winter might not be over yet. General manager Ben Cherington wants to keep adding to a team that finished in last place in the National League Central last season while scoring the fewest runs in the major leagues.
“We feel good about the progress we’ve made. Not satisfied,” Cherington said. “There’s more we want to do. Just like the good big league player keeps looking for ways to get better every day, we have to do the same thing. It has to be the same mindset. Every day between now and opening day is an opportunity to go find something to get better. You don’t know when it’s going to land. I don’t know what things will land. We just have to keep working at it.”
Still on Cherington’s shopping list is a pitcher for the back of the rotation, a left-side infielder, an outfielder, and some bullpen help.
“It’s our job to use every day to hunt opportunities to get better,” Cherington said. “I’m confident we will continue to add to the roster.”
Even if the Pirates stop right now, it will be the most they have done in one offseason to help their chances of contending since Cherington was hired during the 2019-20 offseason. Cherington has embraced the long rebuilding process, but he also likes the change of pace this winter has provided.
“As excited about the moves we’ve made, the reaction we’re getting from people within our clubhouse — staff and players — what I hear from them after some of these things are happening is also a good feeling,” Cherington said. “We want to make the team better, first and foremost. But we also want the feeling walking into Bradenton (for the start of spring training on Feb. 11) to be that there’s just one thing that matters, and that’s winning baseball games. That’s clear to everybody, and that our decisions are supporting that.”