DETROIT — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington held his final media scrum of the 2026 season Saturday at Comerica Park.
The 23-minute session touched on a variety of topics, from what went right and wrong over the past 160 games, to the job status of Cherington and manager Don Kelly, as well as potentially bringing back Brandon Lowe and what must change in 2027 for the Pirates to return to the postseason.
Below are some takeaways:
• Asked whether he’s received any assurance that he'd return in 2027, Cherington said the focus whenever he’s talked to Pirates chairman Bob Nutting has been about planning for the future and making the necessary improvements.
“Every conversation I’ve had with Bob was just about that — how do we keep getting better?” Cherington said. “How do we assess this season? What do we need to learn from it? The progress, the things that need to get better and what can we do about that going forward?
“Everything we’ve done over time is building toward October. Every decision we’ve made, and certainly every decision we’ve made over the last 12 months, was all aimed toward that. I don’t think that changes. It can’t change. We have to go into this offseason focused on that.”
With the Pirates at 81 wins, it would certainly qualify as a surprise if anything happened with Cherington.
The Pirates have nine players worth at least 2 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. It's their most in nearly a decade. The bullpen has been among the best in baseball since the All-Star break, with many of those guys returning. Pittsburgh has had a bunch of young, controllable players emerge in 2026.
Speaking of that …
• Performances like what the Pirates got from Konnor Griffin, Rafael Flores Jr., Esmerlyn Valdez, Mason Montgomery, Bubba Chandler and more had led to a much stronger roster than this time a year ago.
The Pirates still must build out their pitching depth, improve against lefties and get more power from third base. But it’s a lot easier to do that whenever there are some foundational pieces set.
“I do think there’s tangible progress,” Cherington said. “I think we can point to evidence of that. You can also look at the roster. I think every area of the roster — catching, infield, outfield, starting pitching, bullpen — there are really talented players in all of those areas who are gonna be part of this team or can be part of this team next year, most of whom are either entering or in their primes.
"There’s strength in that foundation. We also have to be honest that we didn’t win enough games. We have to get better."
• There will be conversations with Brandon Lowe in October, and it’ll be a great outcome if the fan favorite and power-hitting second baseman remains a Pirate.
It’s also true that Lowe, a free agent for the first time, has put himself in a great position with 34 home runs, 95 RBIs and an .821 OPS.
“It would be a great outcome if he’s a Pirate next year,” Cherington said. “We’ll have some things to talk about and plenty of time in October to have more conversations with him about that and [see] what opportunities are out there for us.
"He’s put himself in a strong position, too. More to learn on that front. Would be a great outcome if he’s a Pirate. Think the world of him and the job he’s done.”
• Cherington also expressed confidence in the job Kelly has done, in large part due to the culture that has been created, the fact that the Pirates have been resilient and continue to fight and the fact that they’ve seen a drastic improvement in one-run games, going from 25-35 last year to 28-19 in 2026.
Kelly’s willing to have every conversation, Cherington said. Players respect his work ethic and attitude. He’s created an expectation of how the Pirates must play to have success.
“We’re finishing a lot of one-run games and doing small things,” Cherington said. “And we can still get better at that. He’s clearly the right person to manage this team. He’s someone I love coming to work with every day. Our goals are the same. Do the work necessary to play games in October.”
• There’s certainly been criticism surrounding the job Cherington has done considering the Pirates are not playing games in October seven years into his tenure. He understands that ... but doesn’t want to tell people how to feel.
Cherington believes in the Pirates' on-field improvement and said he’d rather keep his focus on the work rather than worrying too much about outside opinions.
“I have a lot of respect for [media] and fans,” Cherington said. “I don’t think it’s my job to tell people how they should or shouldn’t feel. I know what we’re focused on. I know the progress we’ve made. I know the talent that exists in this organization on the field and in baseball operations, on the coaching staff.
"Believe we have shown we’re able to make good decisions in all areas of baseball operations and push this thing forward.
"Believe we owe our fans better, certainly. I’m entirely focused on that and believe I can be a part of that. It’s just about the work then. I don’t spend energy on anything else.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.