The Pirates look to be running back most things.
The Pittsburgh Pirates' season is officially over, and from top to bottom, there were some things to like, but some other things that really didn't go as planned. For a Pirates team that was expected to compete for a playoff spot, they did that for a lot of the season.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, however, it wasn't able to get the job done in some tough moments.
As a result, there are plenty of questions about how the future of this organization is going to look, and whether all of these same faces are going to return next year.
As of right now, it feels like there aren't going to be any major changes, with the latest report suggesting that most of the higher-ups within the organization are going to be back next season, barring something drastic happening from owner Bob Nutting.
“Cherington said he expects to return for an eighth season. He believes the coaching staff, including manager Don Kelly and pitching coach Bill Murphy, are the right people for their jobs. Team president Travis Williams has not spoken publicly about his future.
“It appears as though drastic changes won’t be made, although Pirates chairman Bob Nutting could always pivot… As of now, it doesn’t look like the Pirates will make major changes in management after going 82-80 but missing the playoffs. They believe they are on the right trajectory. Throughout the offseason, that could always change,” Colin Beazley wrote.
Nutting is a very tough owner to evaluate in the simple sense that he might just do something random, whether it be to save money or make another decision, but for now, it doesn't really feel smart to move on from guys like Ben Cherington and Don Kelly.
As we look at what the Pirates have been able to do over the past couple of seasons, I don't think a lot of it is the general manager's fault. Kelly could have done a better job this season as the skipper, but even then, if he had better players, we'd be looking at a completely different scenario.
That's what needs to happen next year for anyone to have a real assessment.
