Pittsburgh Pirates: Recapping Ben Cherington's Trades Thus Far

Recapping the trades that Ben Cherington has made since becoming the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Since becoming GM of a rebuilding team, Ben Cherington has frequently executed trades that left fans questioning his decisions. However, some of these trades are now yielding positive results. Let's take a look back at Cherington's trades as GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Starling Marte Traded to Diamondbacks

On January 27th, 2020, to much surprise, Cherington executed a trade involving Starling Marte, along with $1.5 million in cash and a $250,000 international signing bonus. In return, the Pirates acquired Liover Peguero and Brennan Malone.

While Malone's progress has been delayed by injuries, Peguero has demonstrated his skills. At one point, he was even ranked as the 38th best prospect in MLB according to Baseball Prospectus. In his limited MLB appearances, Peguero has exhibited his ability to make solid contact and hit home runs. However, his strikeout rate has been a concern, currently standing at 31% as of September 1st.

Josh Bell Trade to Nationals

On December 24th, 2020, news broke that the Washington Nationals had acquired the Pirates' power-hitting first baseman, Josh Bell, in exchange for Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean. Unfortunately, Crowe's performance has been consistently underwhelming, appearing in 91 games, with 26 starts, resulting in a disappointing 10-19 record and a combined ERA of 5.03.

He has since transitioned into a reliever. On the other hand, Eddy Yean, who is now 22 years old, struggled during his first season with the Pirates, pitching in 22 games with 8 starts and accumulating a 5.27 ERA. He, has since been converted into a reliever, posting a 6.75 ERA in 2022 and a 5.20 ERA in 2023, as of writing.

Jameson Taillon Traded to New York Yankees

Since his trade, Jameson Taillon's performance has not been the same. Although he maintained a decent level of play with the Yankees, since signing a 4-year, $68 million contract with the Cubs it has brought nothing but struggle.

In 24 starts with the Cubs, he has posted a 5.62 ERA and holds a 7-9 record. The trade saw the Pirates acquire Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, Maikol Escotto, and Canaan Smith-Njigba in return. Yajure has been claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants since. Contreras has experienced fluctuations in the majors, enjoying a solid season in 2022 but encountering control issues leading to an ERA of 6.59 in 2023. Escotto has faced difficulties advancing beyond High-A and has managed a batting average of .211 in 2023. Meanwhile, Smith-Njigba has struggled to secure a consistent spot on the MLB roster.

All-Star Adam Frazier Traded to San Diego Padres

In yet another trade that left Pirates fans scratching their heads, the team swapped All-Star Adam Frazier for Tucupita Marcano, Jack Suwinski, and Michell Miliano.

At the age of 23, on the cusp of turning 24, Marcano has emerged as a promising piece from this trade. He displays solid contact skills with the ability of drawing walks. However, his journey has been marred by inconsistency and injuries.

On the other hand, Suwinski has been the standout player in this trade, but he's struggled to curb his striking out habit, with a concerning strikeout rate of 32.3% in his first 223 games. Despite his challenges, Suwinski has yet to fully showcase his potential. At 23 years old, Miliano has been shuttling between High-A and Double-A, hinting at the possibility of him one day becoming a piece in a major league bullpen.

Daniel Vogelbach for WHAT???

On July 22nd, 2022, it was announced that Daniel Vogelbach would be traded to the New York Mets to make a playoff run. In return, the Pirates acquired the fire-throwing reliever Colin Holderman, who recorded a impressive 4-0 record with a 2.04 ERA while with the Mets. He struggled in his start with the Pirates but sat the rest of the season to not get hurt. In 2023, he has emerged as one of the best relievers, throwing 47 innings with an ERA of 3.06, but has been dominant, throwing a peak of 101 MPH.

José Quintana to the Cardinals

On August 2nd, 2022, it was announced that the Pirates would trade pending free agent José Quintana and Chris Stratton in exchange for Johan Oviedo and Malcom Nuñez. Among the players acquired, Johan Oviedo is the only one who has made it to the MLB level so far.

Since joining MLB, he has excelled with an ERA of 4.04, even though his record of 10-15 doesn't fully reflect his performance due to little run support. Malcom Nunez, a skilled player who can play both first and third base, at just 22 years old is one of the top power hitting prospects. In 2022, he showcased his slugging with an impressive 23 home runs. Although he hasn't displayed his power to the same extent in 2023, he maintains a solid batting average of .260, along with 7 home runs and 40 RBIs, making him a strong candidate for an MLB call-up in the near future.

Dauri Moreta for Kevin Newman

Following the acquisition of Dauri Moreta on November 18th, 2022, he has demonstrated his potential as a valuable asset in any pitching rotation. Despite encountering some challenges, his performance has been notable, boasting a 4.24 ERA across 51 innings. His primary area for improvement lies in control, as evidenced by a walk rate of 4.2 per 9 innings. Additionally, he faces difficulties when it comes to closing out an inning,

Nothing for Something?

On June 25th, Pirates fans received news of the acquisition of Andre Jackson from the Dodgers in exchange for 'cash considerations.' Initially, this trade didn't collect much attention, but since joining the Pirates, Andre Jackson has been turning heads. In his most recent start, he went 6 innings, allowing just 1 earned run while recording 7 strikeouts. So far this season, in 6 games with the Pirates, 3 of which were starts, he holds a 1-1 record with 24.2 innings pitched and an impressive ERA of 2.92.

Other trades too soon to tell

From July 27th to August 1st, the Pirates engaged in four trades, with three of them involving acquisitions of players where it's too early to make definitive assessments. In these deals, they traded away struggling talents like Rodolfo Castro, Ji-Man Choi, and Austin Hedges, along with upcoming free agents Rich Hill and Carlos Santana.

In return, they acquired:


Jhonny Severino: An 18-year-old shortstop and third baseman. It's too early to determine his potential due to a limited sample size.


Jackson Wolf: A 24-year-old starting pitcher from the Padres known for his good control. He has the potential to advance quickly if he remains healthy.


Estuar Suero: An 18-year-old player also from the Padres. While he shows promise with a good eye and potential as a contact hitter, it's still too soon to assess his true potential.


Alfonso Rivas: A player who has moved between teams without a clear direction. In the 2023 MiLB season with the Padres, he performed exceptionally well with a .332 batting average and a .462 on-base percentage. To unlock his full potential, Rivas needs more playing time and confidence at the major league level.


In the Castro trade, the Pirates received Bailey Falter, a pitcher with significant potential. His success hinges on maintaining control over hits and walks, and if he can stay healthy, he could become a valuable asset to the starting rotation. However, regaining his form after a setback might prove challenging.