At the outset of Ben Cherington’s tenure as the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he insisted the Pirates were entering a “build” and not a “rebuild”. The difference in term seemed to reflect an overall focus for Cherington to build a long-term winner, rather than focusing on the makeup and chances of the active roster.
After five years, the Pirates are entering a season where they might be winners for the first time under Cherington. There have been four drafts under Cherington, with two first overall picks. He traded away the best players from the roster he inherited, while promoting and extending the best prospects from the system he inherited.