The Pittsburgh Pirates finished the 2026 season with an 82-80 record. This secured a winning campaign for the first time in Ben Cherington’s tenure as general manager.
Entering his eighth season as Pittsburgh’s general manager, Cherington addressed reporters in Las Vegas. He discussed the organization’s trajectory following an 11-win improvement from the previous year. The club stayed in the postseason race until the final weeks of the year. The front office views the 82-win total as merely a foundation.
“We believe whatever the record was, we know it wasn’t good enough,” Cherington said, according to Major League Baseball’s official site. “I think we can look at it across the roster and be pretty open-minded about how we go about taking that next step.”
Financial constraints sit on the books compared to past years. Cherington asserted that the organization retains the flexibility to pursue upgrades.
“I don’t feel like we’re hamstrung or constrained,” Cherington said, as reported by the league’s reporting team. “But it is a different offseason … there are different commitments on the books and a different arbitration class, and I think it will have some effect on how we approach getting better.”
The Pirates are actively pursuing left-handed pitching. They cast a wide net over the relief market while remaining open to a southpaw starter or a swingman who can handle multiple roles, according to reporting from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Setup man Gregory Soto reached free agency. Brandon Eisert and Evan Sisk remain as left-handed relief complements to late-inning arm Mason Montgomery. Nearly half of all at-bats across Major League Baseball in 2026 were taken by left-handed hitters.
For me, it just comes down to, you just want to have good pitching. I don’t care if they throw righty or they throw lefty. They’ve got to be able to get out righties. They’ve got to be able to get out lefties.
Bill Murphy, pitching coach, via MLB
Mitch Keller is expected to factor heavily into the starting rotation. He is recovering from a Grade 3 right arm teres major muscle strain. Cherington expressed confidence in Keller’s return.
Immediate attention centers on Brandon Lowe. The Pirates extended a $23.15 million qualifying offer to Lowe, who serves as a priority entering free agency. Lowe has until next Tuesday to accept or reject the qualifying offer.
Complementary roster shaping involves player utilization. The Pirates won’t rule out adding in the corners or at catcher. They look at the possibility of adding to a young rotation and bullpen. The team went 82-80 in 2026.
Earlier coverage: Pirates Target Left-Handed Pitching, Ben Cherington Says
