Building a team that can take the next step is the top priority for Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.

While Pittsburgh is in the early stages of the offseason, Cherington is confident that the team that will take the field in 2025 will be the best of his tenure.

“I think there is clear evidence that progress has been made, but clearly not enough,” Cherington told reporters. “We are winning more games, we are not winning enough, it has to be done better and faster. Like I said, I really believe we’re already going into 2025 with the strongest and deepest roster we’ve had since I’ve been here, we have to make it better.”

Since Cherington and Pirates manager Derek Shelton came to Pittsburgh in 2019, the Pirates have gone 294-414, including a pair of 100-loss seasons and 76-86 over the past two seasons. Pittsburgh has also not finished better than fourth place in the National League Central in the past five seasons.

Having Paul Skenes and Jared Jones at the top of the starting rotation for a full season, along with the return of catcher Endy Rodrìguez, should help the Pirates in 2025, though it won’t completely solve their problems. If Pittsburgh wants to improve in 2025, there needs to be even more bullpen and more offense on the ledger.

As for improving the team for next season, Cherington said he will leave no stone unturned and is excited about the task ahead of him in leading the Pirates to their first playoff berth since 2015.

“There are different ways to make it better,” Cherington said. “Some of that will come from off-season acquisition, some of it will have to come from improving players. Over time, some of it will certainly have to come from getting better and better in the draft and from international and internal developments . I’m confident because I get full energy from the task(s). It’s hard, it’s a hard task and it’s not supposed to be easy. But that’s why we do it.”

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