Runway was a word Ben Cherington had on repeat Tuesday afternoon, when the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager discussed everything from his designated hitter to the outfield defense to development.
The Pirates are off to a 7-4 start but are still testing Cherington’s patience, as he refuses to pass judgment on players based on such a small sample size amid their first homestand.
No one has been a greater disappointment through the first two weeks of the season than Marcell Ozuna, the 35-year-old slugger who signed a $12 million free-agent deal to provide pop in the middle of the order.
Instead, the 35-year-old Ozuna is batting .065 (2 for 31) with eight strikeouts and four walks, no extra-base hits and a .236 OPS. The Pirates didn’t have him in their lineup in the 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres, marking the second time in three games they used a different DH.
“We need more runway, we need more time,” Cherington said. “Obviously, the outcomes haven’t been there. If you look at it in terms of swing decisions, is he swinging at strikes, not balls, for the most part? Those have consistent with the past. It looks like he’s seeing pitches, seeing the strike zone still. The raw bat speed is there and consistent with where it’s been in the past. He’s had rough starts before. I think there’s nothing that we’re seeing that gives us concern that he’s not going to come out of this. I think we just have to give him more time.”
The Pirates have given longer runways to scuffling sluggers, from Yoshi Tsutsugo in 2022 to Rowdy Tellez in 2024 to Tommy Pham last year. Given the significant investment in Ozuna and his resume that features 296 home runs and 948 RBIs over 14 major leagues seasons, Cherington is willing to take a wait-and-see approach before giving up.
“I think for every player that has that track record, you’ve got to find a way, as you build your roster, you’ve got to find a way to build in that expectation that we’re going to give it time,” Cherington said. “We’d be cutting our nose off to spite our face by not giving – whether it’s (Ozuna) or anybody else – the time to be the player they are. You just end up hurting yourself more. I think as you build your roster, yes, of course we feel there’s urgency or we’re focused on doing everything we can to win every game. Part of doing that over 162 is getting contributions from all of these guys. We’ve got to give them time to get to that.”
Cherington also is willing to give a grace period to the outfield trio of Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds, despite their combined minus-4 defensive runs this season. Communication has been an early issue and their mishaps have proven costly, even if they weren’t scored as errors.
Yet Cherington is willing to trade the uneven defense for improved power production, as they have combined for nine home runs and 28 RBIs through the first 11 games. Pirates manager Don Kelly has utilized backups Billy Cook and Jake Mangum as late-inning defensive replacements to protect leads, and Cook has made a pair of catches on the warning track against the wall for the final out.
“Probably about what we expected, and it’s still probably a little early to know for sure where we’re going to land,” Cherington said. “The work’s certainly been there. The effort that those guys are putting in and the review of the games has been consistent in terms of how they’re reviewing it and learning from it.”
Perhaps the best indication of Cherington’s patience being rewarded is with the output by Cruz, who went 2 for 14 (.143) with eight strikeouts and one walk in his first four games but is 11 for 30 (.367) with a double, four homers and 12 RBIs in the past seven games.
“I think he attacked his offseason with intention,” Cherington said. “Not that he hasn’t worked hard in the offseason before, but he left last season knowing that he struggled, certainly in the second half. He was not happy about it.”
Cherington credited Cruz for returning to his native Dominican Republic with an edge, providing video updates and constant communication to show proof of his work. Cruz also left for several weeks to play in the World Baseball Classic, where he served as DH. It took some time for Cruz to get back into the groove of playing in center for the Pirates.
“Coming off the WBC, it wasn’t a surprise to me that he was going to need some games to get back,” Cherington said. “Hopefully that’s happened by now and he’s settling back into that routine. When he’s locked in on both sides of the ball, he’s such a difference maker for our team. He can take over a game, and we’ve seen him do that a couple times. It’s nice to see that smile back on his face.”