Ben Cherington deserves credit for Pirates move fans didn't think he would make

General manager Ben Cherington and the Pittsburgh Pirates are entering a critical offseason in which they need to spend in order to try and contend. (Color us skeptical that it will actually happen, but that's beside the point.)

Still, perhaps one of Cherington's best decisions early in the offseason has been where he has chosen not to spend.

The Pirates did not tender an offer to right fielder Bryan De La Cruz ahead of last Friday's non-tender deadline, making the 27-year-old a free agent. By choosing this path, Cherington effectively admitted his mistake at last year's trade deadline that saw the Pirates acquire De La Cruz from the Miami Marlins in exchange for a pair of prospects. The trade was a colossal swing and a miss for Pittsburgh, as De La Cruz slashed .200/.220/.294 with three home runs and minus-3 defensive runs saved in 44 games.

Give Cherington credit where it's due. It would have been easy to keep De La Cruz, who was still under team control, and bring him back next year in an attempt to justify the trade for an outfielder who was supposed to bring some pop to the lineup. But instead, Cherington swallowed his pride and sent De La Cruz packing. It was the right decision, but one that few were confident that Cherington would actually make.

Pirates' decision to non-tender Bryan De La Cruz crystallizes team's need for corner outfield help

The Pirates don't have a ton of outfield options for next year, making the De La Cruz decision even more significant. They could – and should – aim higher than what he was going to provide, and getting him off the books frees up some cash to potentially spend in free agency.

We know that Oneil Cruz will be manning center field and All-Star Bryan Reynolds will be in either right or left. The Pirates do have some internal options to occupy the other corner, including 2024 trade deadline acquisition Billy Cook, but he profiles as more of a fourth outfielder/platoon first baseman best deployed off the bench.

Hopefully, Cherington's decision not to tender De La Cruz is a precursor to a bigger decision – one that will bring in a legitimate, everyday corner outfielder who can contribute consistently at the plate.

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