{"id":73666,"date":"2024-05-19T07:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-19T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=73666"},"modified":"2024-05-18T22:10:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-19T02:10:18","slug":"cherington-pirates-trades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/05\/19\/cherington-pirates-trades\/","title":{"rendered":"Grading Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington\u2019s Trades So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was hired after the 2019 season and went right to work making trades. He had the unenviable task of turning around a team that had just finished 69-93 and had a depleted farm system. Now in year five of this latest rebuilding program, the major league record, which stands at 21-26 as of this writing, should be better. On the other hand, the 2024 edition of the Pirates has more talent than the one Cherington inherited. Gone are the days when Colin Moran<\/a> manned third base and Cole Tucker<\/a> patrolled the outfield. The jury is still out on the trades made by Cherington in 2022-23. But we\u2019re far enough along where we can evaluate his \u201crebuilding\u201d trades of 2020-21 with the benefit of hindsight.<\/p>\n

Grading the Trades of Pirates GM Ben Cherington<\/h2>\n

Cherington Trades the First of Pirates Stars<\/h3>\n

January 27, 2020: OF Starling Marte<\/a> to Arizona Diamondbacks for P Brennan Malone<\/a> and SS Liover Peguero<\/a>. <\/strong>At the time, Marte was the Pirates\u2019 best player. In eight years with Pittsburgh, he hit .287\/.341\/.452 with 108 home runs and 420 RBI. He\u2019s the proverbial five-tool player, with speed and a strong arm. He was an All-Star in 2016 and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. But he was reportedly unhappy in Pittsburgh and his occasional mental lapses were frustrating, as was his 2017 suspension for PEDs. Marte is now on his fourth team since the trade.<\/p>\n

Malone was Arizona\u2019s No. 9 prospect at the time. He\u2019s been unable to stay healthy since he was acquired and hasn\u2019t pitched since 2022. Peguero is currently at Triple-A Indianapolis. He\u2019s had a taste of the majors and shown he can play good defense in the middle. He hit .239 with the Pirates with surprising power (7 homers in 201 at-bats). There\u2019s no reason to think the bat won\u2019t eventually come around. Grade: B-.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Whom Bell Tolls (Not the Pirates)<\/h3>\n

December 24, 2020: 1B Josh Bell<\/a> to Washington Nationals for P Wil Crowe<\/a> and P Eddy Yean<\/a>.<\/strong> Bell had a breakout season in 2019, hitting .277\/.367\/.569 with 37 home runs, 116 RBI, and a 142 OPS+. However, Cherington\u2019s thinking was that by the time the Pirates were good, Bell wouldn\u2019t be around anyway, and it was a good time to sell high. Since the trade, Bell has played for four teams in four years. Over that time, he\u2019s hit .254\/.341\/.428 with 71 HR and 253 RBI as of this writing. Crowe wasn\u2019t effective as a starter in 2021. Converted to the bullpen in 2022, he proved to be a reliable workhorse. Appearing in 60 games, he was a good eighth-inning option and often pitched multiple innings. His ERA was 3.12 as late as August 28, before he tired and saw it balloon to 4.38.<\/p>\n

The Pirates quickly soured on Crowe in 2023 after just 9 2\/3 innings. He now toils in Japan. Yean is still in the minors, where he has yet to distinguish himself. In the end, the Pirates should have gotten more for Bell. Better yet, they could have kept him. While he\u2019s never matched his 2019 production, four more years of Bell would have been preferable to the Pirates\u2019 revolving door of one-year rentals at first base. If the following grade seems generous, it\u2019s because Crowe had the makings of a good reliever. We\u2019re evaluating what the Pirates got, regardless of whether they foolishly gave up on him too soon. Grade: C.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Five For One<\/h3>\n

January 19, 2021: P Joe Musgrove<\/a> to San Diego Padres for P David Bednar<\/a>, P Omar Cruz<\/a>, P Drake Fellows<\/a>, CF Hudson Head<\/a>, and C Endy Rodr\u00edguez<\/a>. <\/strong>When the Philadelphia Phillies traded five players to get Von Hayes<\/a> in 1982, Pete Rose<\/a> nicknamed him \u201cFive For One.\u201d One could give Musgrove the same moniker. Of all the trades Cherington made for the Pirates, he had to hate this one the most. Musgrove is a solid starter and an all-around good guy. The Padres have since rewarded him with a long-term contract.<\/p>\n

However, in Bednar, the Bucs have a two-time All-Star closer<\/a> and a popular local product who\u2019s active in the community. In Rodr\u00edguez, the Pirates have their catcher of the future, although he\u2019s out for 2024 after undergoing offseason surgery. Cruz, Fellows, and Head have yet to play in the majors. Cruz is back in the Padres system. Fellows and Head are not highly ranked prospects, although Head once was. Bednar and Rodr\u00edguez were more than adequate as the return for Musgrove. Grade: A+.<\/strong>
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