Cherington addresses disappointing '25, plans to return as GM

PITTSBURGH -- This isn’t the year the Pirates envisioned happening, and this September slump has not helped matters.

Losers of 12 of their last 13 entering Saturday’s contest against the Athletics, the Pirates are now 65-89 on the season. Before this stretch, they at least were in position to improve upon their 76-86 record from the last two years. That’s not going to happen, due in large part to a poor record in one-run games (24-34) and an offense that ranks last in MLB in runs scored (548), home runs (108) and OPS (.652).

But to finish on an extended losing streak is a far from ideal taste to leave in a mouth for an offseason, regardless of how the first five months went.

“It’s been really tough. I think that we have to win more games,” said general manager Ben Cherington before Saturday's game. “There are some things that have happened at the Major League level this year that have been really good, but certainly not nearly enough. Good things have happened. While we really do believe that with the players in the organization that we have, the players on this team, that not only can we be better than this, that we will be better than this. To some extent, the last two weeks make you really confront the things that you have to get better at, that we have to get better at.”

Cherington maintains the belief that the team is closer to competing than their record reflects, certainly closer than what the losing streak indicates. It’s why so much talk in recent months has been towards making the 2026 club a contender.

“It's painful to watch the games in the last stretch because it's not reflective, I don't believe, of how close we are and how close we can be,” Cherington said. “With that said, you can't just hope it's gonna happen. There's gonna be some really important work we need to do to make it happen next year. But again, if you take a step back, don't believe you have to squint to see a good pitching staff, a pitching staff that can shut down opposing lineups. We have some position player pieces in place.

“We need more. Got some players coming. I think our farm system is in a stronger position than it was 12 months ago, which should open up trade opportunities this offseason. We should be pursuing those. We should be adding to the team if we can and be aggressive within reason, I believe.”

Cherington continued: “There's an opportunity, with the manager position and everything around that, there's an opportunity to really have a culture that feels different going into next year. I think for all those reasons, I do believe we are closer than our recent stretch suggests, maybe closer than some people think. But talk's cheap. Gotta go do it.”

• A frustrating year often brings changes. The Pirates parted ways with Derek Shelton in May in favor of Don Kelly, who was described at the time as the permanent manager through the 2025 season. Players have spoken out in favor of the job Kelly has done, and before this recent rough stretch, he did have a 52-51 record (53-63 now).

Cherington declined to make a statement on Kelly'sstatus for next year outside of saying that all attention will turn to a “full assessment” at the end of the season.

“I had confidence when he took the job in May that he would do a really good job,” Cherington said. “He's an excellent communicator. He's dogged in his approach to the job. He has a high self-belief. He believes in people. I said before I believe he cares about other people more than he cares about himself. He's got a lot of really, really strong qualities for the job, and I've seen that play out.

“I've been particularly impressed by his willingness to go after some really hard things, too. Consistent with what we both agree we need to do more consistently to win more games. Of course you would expect a manager to do that, but it's not easy when you don't have the full mandate of the permanent job to do that. He's done it anyway. I've been particularly impressed with that."

• There’s also been speculation that the Pirates could part ways with Cherington at the end of this season. When asked if he has had any assurances from team chairman Bob Nutting on if he will return next year, Cherington responded by saying, “I'm certainly doing the job that way.”

“We talk all the time. Haven't heard anything to the contrary,” Cherington said. “I don't know if any of us in this room ever have full assurance of anything, but I want to help the Pirates win more games. That's it. I don't do the job because of the job. I do the job because I want to be a part of making this thing work. Winning more games and being able to leave PNC Park at night feeling better and everybody feeling better. That's why I do it. I still want to do it. I badly want to do it.”