Grade Ben Cherington
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On the Contract Value Index, Ben Cherington's front office has been getting clear surplus value from its contracts (A- Contract Value Index). That ranks 27th of 30 on Sentiment among graded GMs. Reaction to the front office’s moves has been sharply negative (F Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal.
55
Transactions
55
Graded
0
Fan Votes
6 years
Tenure
17
Positive
33
Mixed
5
Negative
#27
Sentiment Rank
of 30 GMs
#26
Most Active
55 moves
Pirates' front office has been finding value this offseason, getting strong production relative to contract commitments. Across 3 contracts, 1 grade out as good value and 1 look like overpays based on comparable deals around the league. The best bang-for-the-buck deal was Jose Urquidy (A) at $1.5M/yr — getting rhp production well above the price point. The priciest commitment relative to production was Ryan O'Hearn (D) at $14.5M/yr — the utl market may have been richer than the on-field return suggests. This front office is maximizing its payroll dollars and building sustainable depth.
Pirates' 2026 moves under Ben Cherington have drawn significant criticism from fans and media alike. Of 55 graded moves, 17 landed well with the fanbase, 33 drew mixed reactions, and 5 were viewed negatively. The standout move was bringing in Jake Mangum (A+), which generated the most positive buzz. The most questioned decision was the Jack Brannigan signing (D-), which drew the sharpest criticism. The overall direction has been well-received — this front office is building with a clear vision.
Pirates sign 3B Davis Wendzel
signing · 3B
Pirates sign 1B Emmanuel Valdez for assignment
signing · 1B
Pirates sign RHP Chris Devenski
signing · RHP
Pirates sign LF Tyler Callihan
signing · LF
Pirates sign UTL Endy Rodríguez
signing · UTL
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Ben Cherington is the general manager of the Pirates, in his 7th year as the lead executive. FanVerdicts covers every MLB GM and the full body of moves they've made — and asks fans to render the verdict. Cast your Fan Verdict on Ben Cherington, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts brings its own read too — the contract value of the deals they signed, the performance of the players they assembled, and the sentiment around recent moves — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index A-, Performance C-, Sentiment F.
Each GM grade is rolled up from the underlying transactions attributed to that GM's tenure. When a GM signs a player, that signing's Contract Value Index grade flows into the GM's portfolio score; the same player's subsequent performance and sentiment grades flow into the GM's respective summaries. Phased attribution applies for new GMs: the first three years weight the prior GM's legacy deals at 100%/66%/33%, ramping the new GM's ownership of roster outcomes.
For broader context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, and the transactions feed. The MLB GM rankings page ranks every front office side-by-side on the same four dimensions.
Pirates sign LHP Evan Sisk
signing · LHP