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The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a tough position ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Pittsburgh is sailing toward another disappointing season, under general manager Ben Cherington. While Cherington is still at the helm of the ship, a new report states that he may not be around too much longer.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Pirates GM is in between a rock and a hard place. Cherington's decisions ahead of the July 31 trade deadline will likely have a huge impact on his future with the franchise.
“If (Pirates owner Bob) Nutting judges Cherington partly on how the Pirates finish, a sell-off involving Bednar, Mitch Keller and others likely would make the team even less competitive, damaging the GM’s standing,” Rosenthal said. “But if Cherington takes a passive approach, declining to leverage his ample supply of pitchers to acquire impact hitters, Nutting could fire him for a different reason — failing to put the team in better position for 2026.”
Rosenthal believes Cherington may be unable to salvage the situation.
“The situation is awkward, to say the least. Whatever path Cherington chooses, he might be doomed,” the writer added.
Pittsburgh is dead last in the National League Central this season, with a 45-62 record.
Several Pirates are hot trade candidates right now
The Pirates have been a very inconsistent baseball team. Pittsburgh fired their former manager Derek Shelton in May, and replaced him with Don Kelly. While Kelly has helped breathe life into the team, the Bucs are still floundering and struggling to score runs.
Pittsburgh has several players that could be leaving soon, due to the trade speculation. Starting pitcher Mitch Keller is on the top of the list. The Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees are just two of the teams interested in Keller. This season, Keller has a 3.69 ERA and a WHIP of 1.20.
Several other pitchers are also getting trade interest. That includes relievers David Bednar and Dennis Santana, as well as starter Andrew Heaney. Ace Paul Skenes is also wanted by just about every MLB team, but the Pirates are unwilling to deal him.
Pirates general manager Cherington doesn't have many supporters left in the Pirates fan base. He has been unable to mount a winning campaign, in six seasons on the job. The Pirates look like they are once again sailing to a 100-loss season, which is unacceptable to Bucs fans.
The Pirates have won six of their last seven games. Pittsburgh plays the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
