After an extensive search, the Pittsburgh Pirates have hired former Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington to take on the same role and oversee the Pirates’ rebuild.
According to Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Cherington accepted the team’s offer and is now in Pittsburgh to make the deal become official.
Cherington served as Boston’s general manager from 2011-2015 before leaving the organization after it hired Dave Dombrowski. Cherington quickly found work again with the Toronto Blue Jays as the club’s vice president of baseball operations.
He drew interest around the league, including from the New York Mets last offseason, but rejected opportunities to interview for general manager positions.
Cherington played a crucial role in assembling Boston’s championship roster in 2013. While his track record does include poor free agent signings like Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, he also is responsible for Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts presence in Boston.
The 45-year-old’s expertise on the scouting side will fit perfectly with an organization that prioritizes the draft, trades and international scouting over free agency. Cherington now gets a second chance to build a club and this could end up being an excellent hire.