Pirates GM Ben Cherington expects to return for 2027 after best season of his tenure

Ben Cherington expects to be back. Speaking to reporters in a season wrap-up interview — including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Kevin Gorman and MLB.com's Aiden Stephansky — the Pirates general manager said he anticipates returning for his eighth year overseeing Pittsburgh's front office, per Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors. Owner Bob Nutting has not given Cherington any indication to the contrary.

What happened

Cherington addressed his own status directly, noting that his conversations with Nutting have centered on improvement and evaluation rather than any suggestion of a change. The questions driving those conversations, per Polishuk's report: how to keep getting better, and how to assess and learn from this season. Cherington added that every decision made over the last 12 months was aimed at October, and that focus would carry into the offseason.

Polishuk notes that Cherington is under contract through the end of the 2027 campaign, and that dismissing a GM following his best season would be unusual — though only Nutting knows the full picture of job security.

Why it matters

The backdrop here is meaningful. The 81-79 Pirates are third in the NL Central and have already been eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race. But the record itself represents a threshold the franchise hasn't crossed in eight years. Per the report, Pittsburgh went 76-86 in both 2023 and 2024 — the previous high-water mark of the Cherington rebuild era — and the franchise hasn't finished above .500 since an 82-win season in 2018.

Cherington acknowledged that missing the postseason is a disappointment, even while describing 2026 as a year of real progress. His framing was forward-looking: the groundwork for contention is being laid, visible in the culture and the developing core of the roster — though he was equally clear that significant work remains, per the report.

Where the club stands

Pittsburgh enters the final weekend at 81-79 (.506), sitting third in the NL Central, 20 games back in the division, and 6.0 games below the Wild Card cut line — eliminated on both fronts. The Pirates are on a one-game losing streak heading into a two-game closing series at Detroit's Comerica Park. Saturday's game lists Kirby Yates against Justin Verlander as the probable pitchers, with Jared Jones and River Ryan lined up for Sunday.

Per the report, the Pirates can clinch a winning record by beating the Tigers in either of those two games — a modest but symbolically significant finish line for a franchise that has spent most of the past decade well short of it.

What we don't know yet

Cherington's expectation of returning is his own characterization, not a club announcement. The report is careful to note that Nutting's true intentions remain known only to Nutting. Whether the front office structure below Cherington shifts is also an open question: per the report, some lower-level changes could come through promotions or new hirings, and Pittsburgh is reportedly aiming to hire a full-time scouting director. That position has been essentially open since Justin Horowitz departed to become the Nationals' assistant GM last October, per the report.

The broader roster picture has had its own turbulence in the closing weeks. The Pirates had designated reliever Camilo Doval — a deadline acquisition — for assignment, with Ryan Yates activated off the injured list in a corresponding move. Earlier in September, Braxton Ashcraft's breakout 2026 season was cut short due to right arm fatigue, with attention now turning to next year.

What to watch

The Detroit series this weekend doubles as both a season finale and a referendum on the rebuild's current chapter. A winning record would be the clearest piece of evidence Cherington can point to heading into an offseason where the scouting director search, roster construction decisions, and the broader question of contention timing will all demand answers. Whether Nutting's silence on Cherington's future remains silence — or becomes something more formal — is the organizational thread worth tracking once the final out is recorded.