PITTSBURGH (AP) — The
Pittsburgh Pirates
are reeling, and nearly every option is being considered for a last-place team that has already
fired its manager
and filled a span of five years’ worth of
public-relations missteps
into two months.
Sure, apart from that one detail: trading the star player
Paul Skenes
.
When asked on Thursday whether trading the current National League Rookie of the Year could be considered due to the team’s scarcity of promising position players, General Manager Ben Cherington provided unusually concise remarks.
“No, it doesn’t belong in the discussion whatsoever,” Cherington stated plainly.
Pittsburgh entered a four-game series against NL Central rival Milwaukee already 11 games out of playoff position, thanks in large part to an offense that ranks last or next-to-last in nearly every major category: from runs, slugging percentage and OPS (all 30th) to home runs and batting average (both 29th).
At the very least, the Pirates exhibited a slight spark offensively at the plate during this game.
An 8-5 defeat against the Brewers
A few hours following Cherington’s statement, they managed to score five runs for the first time in 27 games. Their 26-game run of scoring four runs or less matched a major league record held by four other teams, with the latest before them being the former California Angels back in 1969.
Still, it was noteworthy that Pittsburgh also stranded 10 runners on base, characteristic of a season where the Pirates have continually failed to capitalize on the limited chances they generate.
It wasn’t quite the outcome the squad envisioned during spring training. Back then, from Cherington to Skenes and even under their former manager Derek Shelton, they all discussed how the Pirates needed to make progress following back-to-back 76-86 campaigns. Not long ago, Derek Shelton was let go and succeeded by Don Kelly in this endeavor.
Rather than moving forward, the Pirates have found themselves going backward since day one, despite starting Skenes. In his eight appearances, Pittsburgh has only managed to secure three wins out of five losses, with their most recent game ending in defeat.
a 1-0 setback
In Philadelphia over the past weekend, Skenes restricted the Phillies to just three hits during his first-ever complete game in his career.
Next week, Skenes will turn 23 years old and he has fully committed himself to the Pirates ever since joining them about a year ago. The team still maintains control over him for the remainder of the decade, and he won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2026. This makes him one of the most cost-effective players in Major League Baseball.
Although Pittsburgh has secured players such as two-time All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes with long-term contracts, these commitments pale in comparison to what Skenes could potentially demand in the future if his career progresses along its present course.
The Pirates consistently rank among the least extravagant teams in Major League Baseball. For their Opening Day roster, they allocated slightly below $88 million for salaries this season. Only the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Miami Marlins had lower payrolls.
Despite this, Pittsburgh hasn’t seen much payoff for their investments. Although the relief pitching has been somewhat chaotic, the starting rotation has performed well. Skenes (with an ERA of 2.44), Mitch Keller (ERA at 3.88), Andrew Heaney (ERA at 2.91), and Bailey Falter (ERA at 3.50) all maintain ERAs below 4.00, but collectively they hold a record of 11 wins and 21 losses.
The problem lies with an underpowered batting order that lacks distinction apart from Reynolds, team legend Andrew McCutchen, and center fielder Oneil Cruz.
Pittsburgh boasts one of the deepest collections of pitching prospects in Major League Baseball—among them is the powerful 22-year-old Bubba Chandler, along with Mike Burrows, who conceded four runs across five innings in his debut start last Thursday. However, after more than five years under Cherington’s leadership, the team still lacks many homegrown position players poised for promotion to the top tier.
Catcher
Henry Davis
The top overall selection in the 2021 draft continues to develop more than a year and a half since making his Major League Baseball debut. Nick Gonzales, who was selected in the first round in 2020 as a second baseman, is recuperating from an ankle injury and hasn’t solidified his role as a regular starter. Previous first-round selections Termarr Johnson (drafted in 2022) and Konnor Griffin (selected in 2024) are still several years off from establishing themselves fully.
Up until now, players called up from Triple-A have primarily been due to injuries rather than their performance at that level.
We’re looking for players from Triple-A to make their presence felt,” Cherington stated. “This could really benefit us, and I believe it might occur before the end of this year. Over time, we aim to see even more of such contributions… Everyone understands that increasing our run count is essential. However, merely wishing for it won’t suffice; dedicated effort will be required.
Cherington stays hopeful that the big-league squad will begin to improve over the last approximately 110 games, and he firmly believes Skenes will be involved regardless of how things unfold.
We simply need to improve,” Cherington stated. “Let’s focus on playing better baseball, which will result in winning more games. Afterward, let’s reassess our situation as we move into July.
___
AP MLB:
https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Will Graves, The Associated Press
