PITTSBURGH — The Pirates confirmed Wednesday that they won’t be retaining hitting coach Andy Haines nor bullpen coach Justin Meccage, two areas of the group that fell in need of expectations in 2024 and contributed to the Pirates ending with an similar document from the yr prior: 76-86.
“We realized loads this yr,” mentioned basic supervisor Ben Cherington, explaining the choice. “… Whereas we’ve got made enchancment in the best way that gamers are enhancing on the Main League degree and performing on the Main League degree.
“We see proof that we’re capable of establish the issues that we have to establish and coach gamers in direction of enchancment. We additionally consider that we have to try this extra, and quicker. In the end, I made a decision that as a way to do it higher and quicker, some adjustments have been obligatory.”
Extra from the overall supervisor on the offense and pitching …
• Cherington expressed eager to have extra “cohesion” and “connection” on the hitting facet, and that getting the hitters higher is “the one place the place power’s going.”
That doesn’t essentially imply {that a} change in philosophy is required.
“I simply suppose we have to ship in a extra constant, clarifying, easy means, and observe by way of all the best way, and try this as persistently as we will,” Cherington mentioned. “In the end, serve the hitters. The hitters go up there each night time, they usually bought to do one thing that is actually arduous. And, we would like all of them to be within the clearest mind set potential after they’re doing it.”
• An enormous wild card for this offense revolves round Ke’Bryan Hayes, who’s going to be rehabbing and strengthening his again this offseason. Hayes was voted the group’s Most worthy participant by the native chapter of the BBWAA in 2023, however was restricted to only 96 video games with recurring again points this season, ending with a .233 batting common and .573 OPS.
Cherington mentioned there’s all the time some degree of concern till he will get again on the sector, however expressed that he feels the group has extra data on his again now and that Hayes is happy for 2025.
“We want him on the sector. Interval,” Cherington mentioned. “We want him on the sector, doing the issues he’s able to doing to ensure that us to be the group that we need to be subsequent yr. He is aware of that, he feels that and feels some type of duty for that. We gotta maintain working to assist him be that.”
• The Pirates got here into this season projected to have top-of-the-line bullpens in baseball. As an alternative, twenty seventh in ERA (4.49) and tied for second-worst in blown saves (29).
If there’s any supply of optimism, although, it doesn’t should be the identical bullpen or outcomes subsequent yr.
“A bullpen, particularly if you happen to’re beginning with some core items coming again, which we expect we’re, tends to be an space that may enhance faster if we do our work properly,” Cherington mentioned. “We have got to do our work properly. We have got to do our jobs, however I am optimistic about that due to how bullpens can change so rapidly from yr to yr.”
• David Bednar was on the heart of the bullpen’s struggles for a lot of the yr, however Cherington gave him a vote of confidence, saying that he thought “Bednar could possibly be our nearer subsequent yr.”
Bednar was faraway from the nearer function for the ultimate month of the season as he trudged by way of a marketing campaign the place he completed with a 5.77 ERA and 7 blown saves in his 30 possibilities. Accidents have been a recurring theme for him all season — lacking nearly all of Spring Coaching after which a stint from mid-June to mid-July — and whereas Cherington didn’t know if that impacted his total outcomes, he believes the pattern dimension of relievers will be small and skewed.
And after two All-Star nods in 2022 and 2023, Bednar actually has earned some advantage of a doubt.
“The pitch qualities are there,” Cherington mentioned. “He is aware of they’re there, which in all probability helps him really feel good. It additionally in all probability frustrates him, on condition that he is aware of they’re there and he couldn’t resolve this. It’s a tiny pattern, and that’s actually harmful.
“I did really feel like the previous couple of outings of September have been fairly encouraging from our perspective. He’s bought some concepts on easy methods to get after his offseason in a means that units him up even higher.”
