Clint Hurdle was fired by the Pirates back in 2019. While he doesn’t necessarily have any bad blood towards his former team, Hurdle did have plenty to say about Pittsburgh missing out on a top trade target in Jazz Chisholm, who was eventually dealt to New York for several prospects.
The Marlins were willing to trade Chisholm at any point in the past month. The Pirates are in a unique position — contending a year ahead of schedule but also preferring not to part ways with young players and prospect capital. As a small-market team, Pittsburgh will need those prospects to live up to their potential if they hope to extend their competitive window beyond just a couple of years.
While it’s unclear exactly who the Marlins asked for in return for Chisholm, top prospects like Bubba Chandler and Termarr Johnson were obviously off the table. The same can be said for any plausible upgrade, which likely puts Pittsburgh in the market for rentals, rather than someone who would fill a long-term void.
Chisholm would have done a little bit of both. The Marlins-turned-Yankees star is signed through 2026, with two years of arbitration after this season. Chisholm can play both second base and center field, with the latter being a need for the Pirates. Pittsburgh was reportedly one of the teams that finished second in the chase for Chisholm, a fate Hurdle is all too familiar with.
There’s no such thing as a close 2nd in anyone’s eyes other than the GM that didn’t get the trade done.
— Clinton M Hurdle (@ClintHurdle13) July 27, 2024
Cherington took on a long rebuild when the Pirates named him general manager in 2019. The goal has always been to contend in 2025, and Pittsburgh is on track to do just that. However, the fanbase is also hungry for a winner, and tired of losing and planning for the future. Cherington has tested their patience again by whiffing on Chisholm, so one can only hope the Bucs add in some way, shape, or form.
Chisholm would have marked a major occasion and a surprising addition. So would Luis Robert Jr., for that matter. Neither was likely, as any Pirates fan could have told you a week ago. The hard truth is that the Pirates are rarely in this position, and they have little margin for error.
Hopefully, Cherington didn’t make another vital mistake in the Bucs road to contention.
