Pirates announce Ben Cherington as general manager

cherington-manager

In this March 24, 2014, file photo, Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is shown during a press conference in Boston. (Carlos Osorio, File/AP)

PITTSBURGH — Ben Cherington is the new general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The club announced the move on Monday, three weeks after firing Neal Huntington from the same position following a last-place finish in the NL Central.

Cherington won a World Series ring as general manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2013. He was fired following the 2015 season and spent the last three years as vice-president of baseball operations for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cherington called joining the Pirates the "ideal opportunity." He is the second high-profile hire by Pittsburgh during the off-season. Travis Williams was brought on as team president last month when Frank Coonelly stepped away after 12 years.

One of Cherington’s first jobs will be finding a manager. The Pirates fired Clint Hurdle on the final day of the regular season and put the search of his replacement on pause until a new general manager was brought in.

[relatedlinks]

Sportsnet.ca no longer supports comments.