Report: Ben Cherington a candidate to head up Pirates’ front office

Ben Cherington is a candidate to join the Pittsburgh Pirates’ front office, according to a report.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Twitter Thursday that Cherington has emerged to serve as Pittsburgh’s new head of baseball operations.

Former #RedSox GM Ben Cherington has emerged as a candidate to be the #Pirates’ new head of baseball operations, sources tell The Athletic. Cherington, 45, was the Sox GM from Oct. 2011 to Aug. 2015, and has been the #BlueJays’ VP of baseball operations since Sept. 2016.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 8, 2019

If word about this leaked to Rosenthal, it likely means a deal is close.

Cherington, 45, spent most of his career in baseball working for the Boston Red Sox. He joined the organization in 1999 and spent time as a co-general manager, vice president, and general manager of the Red Sox before resigning in 2015 after Dave Dombrowski was hired. Cherington has been with the Blue Jays the last three years.

The Pirates are looking for new leadership after firing GM Neal Huntington. They also need a new manager after firing Clint Hurdle.