Pirates trade deadline: 3 takeaways from Ben Cherington's moves

Noah Hiles / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HOUSTON — For the past few months, Ben Cherington has fielded hundreds of questions about his strategy for the then-approaching trade deadline. The Pirates general manager continually stressed the importance of making the right moves to help his 2024 club compete, while also building a better roster for years to come.

As days continued to be crossed off the calendar in July, Pirate fans waited for Cherington’s actions to match his rhetoric. And in the final three days before the deadline, it happened. Cherington and his team made a total of seven trades this week, acquiring three new big-league players, four minor leaguers and dealing away eight total players within the organization.

The moves addressed areas of need both on the major league roster and within the farm system. Here are three big takeaways from the club’s collective effort during the 2024 MLB trade deadline:

Better today

The Pirates entered the deadline needing to improve their big-league roster in three areas: bullpen depth, defensive versatility and power at the plate. All three boxes were checked by 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.

“We want to support that and give this team in 2024 every chance to keep playing good baseball, keep winning,” Cherington said following the deadline. “Now we can focus entirely toward that on the field. [We’ve got a lot of ] baseball in front of us, for sure. We’re excited about that. We think we’ve improved the team between now and the end of the season.”

While Jalen Beeks does not boast the best numbers — 6-4, nine saves, 4.74 ERA — he gives the Pirates an additional left-handed arm that was missing from an already-strong unit. Beeks essentially fills the role of Ryan Borucki, who had his rehab assignment paused last week.

One day after landing Beeks, the Pirates finally acquired the power-hitting outfield bat their fans desired in Bryan De La Cruz. A 27-year-old right-handed slugger, De La Cruz will arrive in Pittsburgh tied with Bryan Reynolds for the team lead in home runs (18). Although he wasn’t the top power hitter on the market, De La Cruz fills a much-needed hole in the Pirates’ cleanup spot, allowing other productive hitters such as Rowdy Tellez — and Nick Gonzales, when healthy — to move lower in the order, thus creating a more complete lineup.

Finally, the last big-league addition the Pirates made Tuesday was perhaps the most significant, acquiring utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Blue Jays. Kiner-Falefa is in the midst of a career year, being valued at 3.1 WAR by Baseball Reference. His .292 batting average will help the Pirates wherever he is placed in the order, but Kiner-Falefa’s top value is on defense.

First base is the only position Kiner-Falefa has not played in his seven years as a big leaguer. With Gonzales on the IL and two of the three outfield spots lacking consistent offensive production, Derek Shelton should have no problem finding a way to get him in the lineup each night.

Better tomorrow

Cherington was also quick to point out that the moves his front office made this deadline will not just help the Pirates in 2024, but in the future. Of the seven players the Pirates acquired this week, Beeks is the only one who will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Kiner-Falefa is under team control through next season, and De La Cruz has three arbitration years before entering free agency in 2028. Knowing that both will be on the roster for 2025, the Pirates will be able to direct more attention to other areas of need in the offseason.

Despite adding three big-league players — which cost them three of their top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline — the Pirates were also able to add to their minor league system. Quinn Priester was traded Monday to the Red Sox for 22-year-old second baseman Nick Yorke, who is currently rated the Pirates’ No. 5 prospect. Billy Cook, an infielder who was acquired in a prospect-for-prospect deal from the Orioles, is rated the club’s No. 18 prospect.

Yorke and Cook provide an addition of some much-needed offensive talent in a pitching-heavy farm system, something Cherington admitted Tuesday.

“We didn't come into the week with any desire to move on from Quinn Priester,” Cherington said. “We did come into the week, however, with the desire to try to add upper-level position players, near major league ready upper-level position players who we believe in, who we believe have traits that we believe in, that have a chance to contribute offensively and defensively.”

The Pirates also added arms to their farm system, acquiring Josh Walker from the Mets and 18-year-old left-hander Ronaldys Jimenez from the Padres. The former is on the big-league roster and could see time in the majors this season, while the latter is a young project for the distant future.

Perez served purpose

The Pirates’ final major league trade before the deadline arrived involved veteran left-hander Martin Perez, who was sent to the Padres for Jimenez. Perez’s departure makes sense for numerous reasons: It clears salary for the incoming contracts that were acquired, it creates room for a more traditional bullpen, and it clears out a crowded starting rotation.

It would be fair to say that Perez was the Pirates’ least productive starting arm this season, as he went 2-5 with a 5.20 ERA in 16 outings. But that doesn’t mean he failed to contribute value while in Pittsburgh.

Numerous players have credited Perez’s leadership in the clubhouse, most notably Luis Ortiz, who said the veteran’s guidance was a factor in his ability to take another step forward as a big-league pitcher in 2024. The Pirates skipper added to that notion Tuesday.

“I really appreciate his willingness to come here and be a part of our group,” Shelton said. “The thing that really stands out for me is when we got through the emotional part that comes when you trade someone, the commentary that he had about our group of young players, how he felt about them, how they’ve developed and even what he suggested for their continued growth. I think that just speaks to the quality of human being that Martin Perez is.”

Noah Hiles: [email protected] and @_NoahHiles on X