Pittsburgh Gives Up on Ben Cherington & Pirates After Drastic Action on $15000000 Star

At PNC Park, this season was supposed to feel different. After years of waiting, the front office sold 2025 as the payoff, the year patience and player development finally turned into progress. Pirates fans weren’t asking for perfection; they just wanted signs that the rebuild had teeth. Instead, what they’ve watched unfold is another chapter of stop-and-go baseball, where optimism keeps colliding with reality.

That’s where Isiah Kiner-Falefa fits in. When the Pirates inked him to a two-year $15 million contract in the winter, they didn’t expect him to be a superstar. He was meant to provide stability, a presence to calm the nerves of a team as the long season wore on. His background made him a perfect fit. A Gold Glove award winner in Texas, a shortstop who adapted to a utility role in New York, and a dependable player in Toronto. But in Pittsburgh, things didn’t look so great when you glanced at the numbers.

Over 109 games, Kiner Falefas’ performance was underwhelming with a batting line of .232/.298/.333 and 5 home runs. Impressive. His OPS+ was 78, below the league average. On the side, his defense was still a strength, helping to save runs in the field. However, his offense never lived up to his salary.

Then came the gut punch. The Pirates placed Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers, leaving contenders a weekend window to grab him for free. On paper, it’s just another transaction. In practice, it was a loud admission that a $15 million bet hadn’t paid off. For general manager Ben Cherington, who tied part of his blueprint to Kiner-Falefa’s reliability, the move felt like the ground shifting underneath him.

The backlash was instant.

Trust in the Pirates blueprint starts to crumble

“Could’ve traded him at the deadline, now we get rid of him for nothing. Thanks, Ben.” Many fans pointed out the obvious sting: if the front office had already soured on Isiah Kiner-Falefa, they could have moved him at the trade deadline and at least salvaged some value.

Teams in July were hungry for versatile infielders, and Pittsburgh likely could have landed a mid-tier prospect or even a controllable bullpen arm in return. Instead, by waiting until late August to place him on outright waivers, the Pirates risk losing him for nothing more than a salary dump.

It’s a frustrating reality for supporters who watched contenders aggressively add utility pieces in July, the exact market where Kiner-Falefa’s defensive versatility and postseason experience could have drawn interest. To them, the move didn’t just feel late; it felt careless, and that frustration quickly zeroed in on Ben Cherington.

“Still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he stuck around this long rather than giving Cam Devanney a look in the majors to see what he can do for 2 months. IKF is fine, just seemed like an odd choice. Hope he catches on with a contender.”

Some fans admitted they weren’t shocked by Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s struggles, but by how long he remained on the roster. With prospects like Cam Devanney waiting in Triple-A, Pittsburgh could have used the last two months to test a younger option in the majors.

Devanney has been quietly productive at Indianapolis, hitting .263 with a base percentage of .345. He also scored 14 home runs and 56 RBIs across 112 games, while showing strong defense on the left infield. Instead, the team kept leaning on Kiner-Falefa despite his lack of offensive edge. A choice that left supporters scratching their heads.

“The Yanks once put Jeter on waivers. He was clearly not going anywhere. Pirates are essentially giving IKF a chance to play for a playoff contender. Not a big deal. I assumed they would do the same for Pham.”

Some fans urged perspective, noting that even franchise icons have technically passed through waivers. In 2003, the Yankees placed Derek Jeter on trade waivers, a common procedural move at the time that ensured he wouldn’t actually be claimed.

To them, the Pirates’ decision with Isiah Kiner-Falefa felt less like a charge and more like a professional courtesy. By exposing him to outright waivers in late August, Pittsburgh is essentially giving the veteran a chance to join a contender, something his defensive versatility and postseason experience (13 playoff games with the Yankees and Blue Jays) still make him suited for.

Fans argued that it wasn’t a big deal, especially with the Pirates drifting outside the NL playoff picture. Some even assumed a similar path would be taken with Tommy Pham, another veteran on a short-term deal whose bat and postseason track record could be of use to a team gearing up for October.

“Interesting, I wonder who they will bring up. move Peguero to 3B and bring up Devanney at SS?” The roster question now turns to Liover Peguero, who could be shifted to third base if the Pirates decide to open a lane for Cam Devanney at shortstop. Peguero, just 24, has shown flashes of promise in Pittsburgh but has struggled to find consistency at the plate.

Across 84 games this year, he’s batting .238 with 9 homers, 34 RBIs, and a .676 OPS, the kind of line that flashes raw power, but also shows a young hitter still wrestling with big-league pitching. Peguero’s arm strength fits naturally at third base, and shifting him there could take some of the defensive weight off his shoulders. That move would also open the door for Cam Devanney, who has quietly hit .263 with 14 home runs and dependable defense at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Plugging both into the lineup this September gives the Pirates something they desperately need: answers. It’s a chance to see if Peguero can handle the hot corner and whether Devanney’s production can translate to the majors.