Manager Derek Shelton was fired, and since GM Ben Cherington was responsible for assembling the roster and hiring Shelton, fans believe his own firing could follow as early as tomorrow.
Ben Cherington is the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a role he’s held since 2019.
Previously, he worked with the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays, where he contributed to the development of their 2013 World Series-winning roster.
However, under his leadership, the Pirates haven’t shown much improvement.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: “This certainly isn’t all on Shelty. We’re all responsible.” pic.twitter.com/sVQcN189rK
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) May 8, 2025
Ben Cherington has been candid about the Pirates’ struggles, especially during their recent losing streaks. He said,
It certainly starts with me. I’m more responsible than anyone. We need to perform better. That’s the bottom line. This wasn’t about any single player, even any single day. An accumulation over the last part of last year and early part of this year. It just became clear to me that in order to move forward and get the Pirates back moving in the direction we need to move that a change was necessary to give ourselves a chance to do that.
Despite setbacks, he has emphasized that the team’s goals haven’t changed and that they remain focused on improving throughout the season.
Defending the teams’ effort, he further said:
All we want to do is win every day. We’ve got to control the parts we can control
As of now, Ben Cherington has not been officially fired as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Despite widespread speculation and fan frustration following his firing in May 2025, Cherington remains in his role.
Fans Called Ben Cherington The Worst GM The Team’s Ever Had!
Earlier this season, the team fired their manager, Derek Shelton, due to poor performance; however, things haven’t improved much.
Now, with the Pirates struggling in the standings and fans growing frustrated, reports suggest that Cherington might be fired soon, possibly as early as tomorrow.
According to some social media posts, the Pittsburgh Pirates will hold a press conference tomorrow at PNC Park to officially announce the firing of General Manager Ben Cherington.
BREAKING: The #Pirates are expected to relieve GM Ben Cherington of his duties. Likely announced tomorrow.
— MLBScoops (@mlb_scoops) July 20, 2025
So far, the team has not made any official announcements, and Cherington has not confirmed the rumors.
Despite all the speculation and public pressure, Ben Cherington remains focused on his responsibilities as the Pirates’ general manager.
He hasn’t made any dramatic statements or signaled that a change is coming
Moreover, he remains confident in the current roster and attributes the poor performance to factors such as injuries and bad luck.
He’s confident that as players return to full health and others heat up, the team will become more competitive.
Still, he has acknowledged the Pirates’ poor performance and said changes are needed.
Many fans and sports writers are calling for his removal, blaming him for the team’s lack of success. One even said he might be the worst GM in team history.
On Reddit’s r/buccos, reactions range from deeply frustrated to skeptical of whether a firing would solve anything:
Legit all they had to do was spend on some bats. That’s it. You’d think given their financial situation, they’d do just that…. Buy a couple bats. They could’ve done that and came into the season a contender with a payroll still much below the mean. Same shit, different year. Don’t be surprised if triolo and suwinski are on the opening day roster next year…
Likewise, fans are baffled that Cherington hasn’t been fired yet, especially with the MLB Draft just passed and the trade deadline looming.
They argue that other teams, like the Nationals, didn’t hesitate to make leadership changes mid-season.
Some insiders believe he might still stay on for another season if the owner doesn’t want to buy out his contract.
But his future depends heavily on what happens at the trade deadline. If he makes smart, bold moves, he could stay.
If not, he might be out of a job, and his baseball career could take a serious hit.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Cherington is the grandson of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Eberhart.
- He was previously married to ESPN reporter Wendi Nix, with whom he shares two daughters.
- Following their divorce in 2010, he later married Tyler Tumminia, a respected minor league baseball executive and former commissioner of the Premier Hockey Federation.
