As his pitchers and catchers took the field in Bradenton for the second day of Spring Training, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington commented on a wide range of topics at the Grapefruit League Media Day event in Tampa.
Cherington said he believes the Pirates are better now than they were when last season ended, but admitted the Bucs need to keep finding ways to get better, not just on the mound, but “anywhere on the roster.”
Cherington addressed a number of other hot spring training issues:
- He said Henry Davis is primarily a catcher and will compete with veteran Yasmani Grandal for playing time. Davis played mostly in the outfield last year.
- Top draft pick Paul Skenes will compete for a spot on the big league roster, for the time being. He said the Pirates “don’t need to make any decision right now.”
- While not specifically mentioning Mitch Keller and David Bednar, Cherington said this is the time of the year when the Pirates typically talk to players about contract extensions and they would “just have to see where it goes.”
- Even without adding players, the GM expects the Bucs to be better, especially with the return of Oneil Cruz from April ankle surgery and the offseason signing of Rowdy Tellez and Aroldis Chapman.
Pirates position players will report to camp on Monday.
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