"Pirates GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Alex Stumpf of MLB.com) earlier this afternoon that he has "received assurance" that he'll remain in his current role with the club going forward. Cherington's contract with the club runs through the 2027 campaign, as was reported last week. The news that Cherington is remaining in the organization doesn't register as a massive surprise after news broke earlier today that the Pirates were signing manager to a contract extension after he took over for Derek Shelton back in May."
"While Pittsburgh's 71-91 record this year is impossible to view as anything other than a major disappointment, the team went 59-65 under Kelly. That's still six games below .500, but the club's .476 winning percentage under Kelly would be their best since 2018 if carried across a full season. That stat makes it easy enough to understand why Pirates ownership would think it worthwhile to see how a full season of the partnership between Kelly and Cherington would look."
"Cherington will begin his sixth year at the helm of Pittsburgh's baseball operations department in November, and while the team hasn't had much success during his time at the helm those struggles must be viewed through the lens of the budget he's had to work with throughout his tenure. RosterResource estimates the club's payroll at $87MM this year, more or less identical to the club's 2024 payroll. While the organization ran payrolls between $90MM and $100MM from 2015 to 2017 according to Cot's Baseball Contracts, they began steadily dropping in 2018 before the trend line started to reverse in 2023."
Cherington received assurance he will remain in his current role and his contract runs through 2027. The Pirates signed manager Kelly to an extension after he replaced Derek Shelton in May. The club finished 71-91 overall but went 59-65 under Kelly; a .476 winning percentage under Kelly would be the team's best since 2018 if projected over a full season. Ownership wants to see a full season of the Kelly–Cherington partnership, yet roster and budget constraints are major factors in limited success. Payroll is estimated at $87MM, down from earlier years, with only recent reversal since 2023; even a return to roughly $100MM would leave the club among the sport's lowest payrolls.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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