Latest news with #BenCherington
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Red Sox reportedly made trade call about Pirates starter Mitch Keller
The Red Sox have reportedly kicked the tires on trading for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller, as Boston looks to strengthen its starting rotation ahead of MLB's trade deadline on Thursday. The Red Sox reportedly reached out to Pittsburgh about the 29-year-old right hander, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller is only 4-10 over his 22 starts for the Pirates this season, but he touts a 3.69 ERA and 1.205 WHIP. He's gone 3-0 in his last six games (with the Pirates 5-1 in those contests) with a 2.73 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 33 innings pitched. Keller has spent his entire career with the Pirates, and has gone 40-60 record with a 4.45 ERA over his seven MLB seasons. He was an All-Star in 2023, when he finished the season 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 210 strikeouts over 194.1 innings of work. Keller wouldn't be a summer rental if acquired at the deadline, as he's in the second year of a five-year, $77 million deal. The Pirates have been dreadful this season, sitting at just 46-62 and in baseball's basement with a league-low 367 runs scored. General manager Ben Cherington is expected to sell off some pieces ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. deadline, and a number of teams have reached out about Keller, according to Hiles. The group includes the Yankees, Cubs, and Mets, in addition to the Red Sox. Hiles also noted Keller may not move until the offseason, "a notion one source claims could give the club better odds of landing an established big-league hitter in return." The Red Sox have an established big-league hitter to dangle in Jarren Duran, but are reportedly hanging onto him through the deadline. We'll see if Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow can come up with a package that appeals to the Pirates, or if he'll turn his attention elsewhere to improve the club at the deadline. The Red Sox currently hold the second American League Wild Card spot, but could use some help in the rotation, the bullpen, and a right-handed bat for the lineup. Breslow likely won't be able to get everything on his wish list, but pitching should be his priortiy. The Red Sox have a legit ace in Garrett Crochet, but could use some more depth after him. Brayan Bello and Lucas Gioltio have been good as of late, but Walker Buehler has had a frustrating season and Richard Fitts has struggled since returning from injury. Injuries to Tanner Houck, Hunter Dobbins, and Kutter Crawford have further tested Boston's starting depth this season. Boston is currently the second Wild Card team in the American League, sitting 0.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners and 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Rosenthal: What I'm hearing about the Pirates' trade deadline plans, Eugenio Suárez and more
Trading right-hander Mitch Keller is probably the best way for the Pittsburgh Pirates to acquire badly needed offense and clear payroll to sign free-agent hitters in the offseason. But, according to sources both inside and outside the organization, the Pirates do not yet have clarity on whether they want to move Keller. Advertisement The decision belongs to general manager Ben Cherington, perhaps with influence from owner Bob Nutting. And as The Athletic's Stephen Nesbitt wrote this week, 'If the sixth-year GM is on the hot seat, as many industry believe, (the deadline) could be his last chance to chart a course toward contention in 2026 that persuades Nutting to give him another year.' Obviously, the right offer for Keller would tempt the Pirates, but some with the team believe the best way to win with ace right-hander Paul Skenes is to keep some of their core pieces, from Keller to closer David Bednar, setup man Dennis Santana to right fielder Bryan Reynolds to center fielder Oneil Cruz. Such a strategy would make sense if the Pirates intended to spend additionally on offense. Their history under Nutting suggests they will do nothing of the sort. And moving Keller would clear his salaries of $16.5 million, $18 million and $20 million over the next three seasons. Those are not outrageous sums for a pitcher of Keller's quality. Keller, 29, has an actual ERA of 3.53 this season and an expected ERA of 3.82. His strikeout rate is in the bottom 25 percent of the league. But Fox analyst Adam Wainwright, a former major-league pitcher, raved about Keller on the network's national broadcast last Saturday, saying that he is fully capable of developing into a top-of-the-rotation starter, if he isn't one already. If the Pirates could land multiple hitters for Keller — starting with someone like the Chicago Cubs' top prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie — they still would have a wealth of young pitching talent to reinforce their rotation. None of the Pirates on expiring contracts — outfielder Tommy Pham, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, left-hander Andrew Heaney, left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson — will bring back impact offense. Bednar, under club control for an additional season, carries greater value, but perhaps not enough to land a difference-maker. Keller is the principal bait. Yet, the Pirates seem torn. The Los Angeles Dodgers do not want to overpay for reliever volatility when they're already living through reliever volatility. So, it seems doubtful they will pay sticker price for a late-inning type such as the Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase or Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran, assuming those pitchers are even traded. Advertisement Under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers have succeeded in acquiring relievers such as Adam Kolarek, Chris Martin and Ryan Brasier during the season, then getting the most out of them. They also were burned in some of those deals — Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields, Oneil Cruz for Tony Watson, and arguably, even Zack McKinstry for Martin. If the Dodgers move right-handed starter Dustin May, it likely would be for an outfielder and not a reliever, according to a source briefed on the club's plans. The team's preference is to trade from their farm system as opposed to its major-league roster. And moving May for a reliever would seem pointless when the Dodgers could use him to fill that role himself. May, a potential free agent, might not like getting shifted to the bullpen. But with a 4.73 ERA and 18.2 percent strikeout rate, he would not have much of a case to stay in the rotation, particularly with left-hander lefty Blake Snell expected to return next week and righty Roki Sasaki by the end of August. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, asked Friday night if May and right-hander Emmett Sheehan were pitching for their starting jobs, did not dismiss the question. 'I think that's fair and that's honest, so we'll see,' Roberts told Dodgers reporters, including The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. 'It's up to them to go out there and pitch well and force our hands as far as decisions. Ultimately, players make the decisions for themselves, right? And that's performance.' The Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez rates as one of the worst defensive third basemen in the majors, according to both defensive runs saved and outs above average. From that perspective, the New York Yankees probably were wise to opt for the Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon, whose defensive metrics are quite strong. Advertisement One National League hitting coach, however, disputed talk that Suárez is likely to regress from his 36 homers and .918 OPS entering Friday night's play. The coach, granted anonymity because he did not want to publicly comment on another team's player, said Suárez is a different hitter than he was prior to the All-Star break in 2024, when his OPS was only .668. The coach's comments were in line with a thread posted Friday by Mike Petriello, who noted that Suárez has been a top-six hitter in the sport since the 2024 break. Petriello, using Statcast data, wrote that Suárez has moved 'way up in the box, about nine inches from start of 2024 to end. He opened up his stance a ton, too.' The coach noted the same changes, saying Suárez in his previous stance was 'blocked off' and 'twisted.' He conceded the risk-reward with Suárez's 26.4 percent strikeout rate, which entering Friday was the 29th-highest in the sport (McMahon was the fourth-highest at 31.7 percent). Suárez also isn't great against velocity, with a .219 average and four homers in 73 at-bats against pitches 95 mph or above. But the coach's overall assessment was the same as Petriello's: Suárez is a changed hitter, far better than he was before. The Seattle Mariners have made infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore available, according to sources briefed on the team's discussions. Rival clubs, though, probably aren't as excited by that news as they might have been a year ago. Moore, the American League Utility Gold Glove Award winner last season, offers the kind of defensive versatility teams covet. There's just one problem: Moore, who turns 33 on Aug. 2, is in a 2-for-54 slump since May 27, with 29 strikeouts and four walks. The Mariners, after adding first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday, remain in the mix for Suárez, and according to a club source have 'lots of moving parts.' Moore, earning $3.825 million in the final year of his contract, might become even more expendable if the team adds Suárez. Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was not in the lineup for the second time in three games on Friday night due to a tight groin, but the expectation he will be traded (Philadelphia? San Diego?) is rising. Boston Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez, who played for the White Sox from 2021 to '23, believes a change will do his former teammate good. 'I feel like when he gets traded, he's going to just take off,' Gonzalez said. Perhaps the more intriguing development with the White Sox is that teams are 'all over' them about rookie right-hander Grant Taylor, according to a club source. Taylor, the team's second-round pick out of LSU in 2023, has struck out 23 and walked six in 18 1/3 innings. His fastball averages 99 mph, putting him in the top 2 percent of the league. The White Sox, the source said, are uncomfortable even talking about Taylor. He has stabilized their bullpen, allowing other relievers to settle into suitable roles. And he could be a starter in the future. The Tampa Bay Rays, 3-4 since the All-Star break and 6-15 since June 28, appear to be trending toward becoming a seller. After their series in Cincinnati this weekend, the Rays visit the New York Yankees for their final four games leading to the deadline. Two of the Rays' more intriguing players, second baseman Brandon Lowe (left foot) and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (lower back strain), currently are on the injured list. Lowe, though, could miss minimal time, making a trade possible. As previously reported, the Rays would be reluctant to move first baseman Yandy Díaz, who signed two club-friendly extensions. Advertisement The list of attractive Rays pitchers would start with closer Pete Fairbanks, who is earning $3.67 million this season and can be retained for 2026 on a $7 million club option. Righty starter Zack Littell, whose ERA rose to 3.72 after he allowed five runs in six innings Friday night, has been available for some time now. As creative as the Rays are, little would be out of the question. Left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched only twice for the Milwaukee Brewers before going on the injured list with a left elbow flexor strain. Whether he pitches for the Brewers again is an open question. Cortes, 30, made what was expected to be his final rehabilitation start on Thursday. The Brewers could go to a six-man rotation to accommodate his return. But, as first mentioned by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a trade might be a more likely outcome. Going to a six-man rotation would force the Brewers to drop a reliever, and their bullpen already is taxed. Abner Uribe entered Friday one short of the major-league lead with 49 appearances. Jared Koenig was next at 48. Grant Anderson and Nick Mears on Friday night increased to 45. Closer Trevor Megill is at 38. Cortes is still owed nearly $2 million. The Brewers have a surplus of starters that extends to Triple A. Something seemingly has to give. (Top photo of Mitch Keller: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
New York Times
24-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
It's a pivotal trade deadline for the Pirates — but are they willing to all-out sell?
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes blanked the best-record-in-baseball Detroit Tigers on Monday, tossing his third scoreless start this month and lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.91. Yet the attendance at PNC Park was roughly half the season-high crowd on hand two nights prior to procure a bobblehead and loudly petition owner Bob Nutting to sell the team. Advertisement Such is the state of Nutting's last-place ballclub a week before the trade deadline. After wasting Skenes' sensational rookie season last year, the Pirates have fully capsized in what could be his first Cy Young season. Despite sweeping the Tigers, the Pirates are 19 games under .500 and firmly sellers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. How aggressively they'll sell is being debated around baseball. The stakes have made it a defining week for Ben Cherington. If the sixth-year GM is on the hot seat, as many in the industry believe, it could be his last chance to chart a course toward contention in 2026 that persuades Nutting to give him another year. Nutting's comments upon firing manager Derek Shelton in May suggested his patience was wearing thin: 'We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.' It's been a decade since the Pirates reached the postseason, nine years since they finished better than fourth place in their division, and seven years since their last winning season. Difficult as any GM might find it to construct a contender on a bottom-five budget, Cherington signed up for that challenge. He so far has failed to win on Nutting's terms and replicate the successful low-payroll model of the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. While the downfall of the previous Pittsburgh front office, led by Neal Huntington, was its inability to push pitching prospects to their full potential, the Cherington regime has failed to develop enough homegrown hitting. The Pirates rank last in the majors this season in runs, homers and OPS. The lack of run support explains why Skenes' Cy Young resume currently features a 5-8 record. The organization's best position player in the minors, 2024 first-rounder Konnor Griffin, is three levels from the majors. Advertisement Cherington's only viable path to upgrading the lineup by next spring is via trade. (The Pirates haven't signed a free-agent hitter to a multi-year deal since John Jaso in 2015.) As Cherington considers the possible roadmaps for fielding a winning team in 2026, here are a few ways his trade-deadline maneuvering could progress — listed in order of escalating aggressiveness — and what it would mean for the franchise's future: On the move: UTIL Isiah Kiner-Falefa, LHP Andrew Heaney, OF Tommy Pham, LHP Caleb Ferguson Savings for 2026: None The upshot: This result would be a sign the Pirates were unwilling to lower their demands on players under club control beyond 2025, namely starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar, who are healthy and rolling. On one hand, that's a reasonable approach; buyers are exceedingly reluctant to part with top prospects, and the Pirates would rather not trade core players for multiple mid-tier prospects. However, other than saving about $6 million in 2025 salary, dealing only rentals would mean the Pirates are determined to run it back in 2026 with a similar roster. Maybe they'd move a pitching prospect for a bat in the offseason. Maybe not. And maybe by then Nutting will have decided to let a different GM call the shots. Likelihood: 25 percent On the move: RHP Mitch Keller, RHP David Bednar, RHP Dennis Santana and rentals Savings for 2026: About $27 million The upshot: Cashing in on the depth of their pitching reserves and capitalizing on having several of the most coveted arms on the market, the Pirates would swap a proven starter and two leverage relievers for a handful of young hitters. They might not get any top-100 prospects in return, but the sheer volume would instantly increase the talent in their pool of position player prospects. They could backfill Keller's and Heaney's rotation spots with prospects at Triple A — Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, Hunter Barco — and spend the savings this offseason further strengthening the lineup and rebuilding the bullpen. Likelihood: 35 percent On the move: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, Keller, Bednar, Santana and rentals Savings for 2026: About $34 million The upshot: Two things can be true about the $36 million in guaranteed money remaining on Hayes' contract: It's far more than the Pirates would prefer to pay for his light production with the bat, and it's not a number most contenders would balk at paying one of the best fielders in the sport. Even with Hayes' OPS sitting below .600 for the second consecutive season, the Pirates may see this as a prime opportunity to offload his contract while doing no harm to their offensive outlook for 2026. Likelihood: 30 percent On the move: OF Bryan Reynolds, Hayes, Keller, Bednar, Santana and rentals Savings for 2026: About $48 million The upshot: If Cherington rises to this level of aggressive sell-off, it would suggest that either Nutting directed him to dump long-term salary — Reynolds, Keller and Hayes are signed to the three largest contracts in club history — or that the owner is so unwilling to add payroll for 2026 that Cherington felt he had to force financial flexibility. Trading Reynolds while he's at a low point in value offensively and defensively would achieve very little beyond savings. While the Pirates have the depth to replace a few pitchers, it's hard to imagine that even with some operating room below Nutting's payroll limit Cherington would be able to meaningfully improve at third base and right field, upgrade other weak spots in the lineup (shortstop, left field, catcher) and sign a couple late-inning relievers. Likelihood: 10 percent Seven months ago, at the Winter Meetings, Cherington remarked, 'If you look at Cleveland, Tampa and Milwaukee, yes, they're getting value out of the draft. Yes, they're getting value in international (signings). But the trades are a big piece of how those teams are built. Trades are harder emotionally. Everybody celebrates a draft pick when you make it. It's all upside. Right? But trades, there's a give and take. You're giving something up, so it's a different emotional, psychological decision and experience. Advertisement 'But to win in Pittsburgh we're going to have to be willing to embrace that as those competitive teams have done. We've got to be open to it.' Cherington has another chance this week to embrace that give and take. Thus far, his trading history in Pittsburgh has received poor grades; the paucity of impact players he acquired when trading away numerous veterans early in his tenure remains a frequent talking point among disappointed fans. This week, Cherington can't afford to miss. The phone calls started during the All-Star break, with other GMs asking not only about rentals but about players Cherington had extended, anticipating they'd be part of the Pirates' window of contention. As the trade deadline nears, Cherington will make some of the most important decisions of his Pirates tenure. For now, those calls are still up to him.
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Pirates sign 2025 first-round pick Seth Hernandez
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday signed 2025 first-round draft pick Seth Hernandez. Hernandez, a right-handed pitcher, was the sixth overall selection of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. The 19-year-old was MLB Pipeline's No. 3-ranked prospect in this year's draft. Experts say the 6-foot-4, 190-pound hurler already has three elite pitches in his arsenal: a solid fastball, a changeup, and a tight curveball with spin. "We are very excited to get the chance to work with Seth," said Pirates general manager Ben Cherington after the draft. "His athleticism, velocity, ability to shape pitches and competitiveness are standout traits for a starting pitcher. He will be fun to watch develop." Coming into the draft, Baseball America rated Hernandez with the "Best Changeup" and the fourth-best "Fastball" among this year's high school draft class, per a media release from the Pirates. Hernandez struck out 105 batters while recording a 0.39 ERA in his 11 appearances (11 starts) this past season for Corona High School. He also hit .319 with seven home runs and a 1.019 OPS as a senior. Hernandez compiled an 18-1 record in his career at Corona High School while also being a two-time Los Angeles Times Player of the Year.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Pirates select RHP Seth Hernandez as their first pick in the 2025 MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates have selected RHP Seth Hernandez as their first pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Hernandez was the sixth pick in the first round of the draft. According to the MLB, Hernandez, 19, is six feet four inches tall and around 190 pounds. He comes from Corona High School and was ranked third in the pipeline. He bats and throws right-handed. Advertisement 'We are very excited to get the chance to work with Seth,' said Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington. 'His athleticism, velocity, ability to shape pitches and competitiveness are standout traits for a starting pitcher. He will be fun to watch develop.' The MLB gave him the following scouting grades on a 20-80 scale. Fastball: 70 Curveball: 60 Slider: 55 Changeup: 60 Control: 55 Overall: 60 The Pirates said Hernandez struck out 105 batters while recording a 0.39 ERA in his 11 starts last season. He hit seven home runs and had a 1.019 OPS during his senior year. He was also named the 2025 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Advertisement Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
