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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates arrived at spring training six months ago stressing that it was time to win. They talked about urgency. They talked about internal improvements. They talked about returning to playoff contention for the first time in a decade.
Then the talk stopped, and the games began. And the losses -- both on and off the field -- mounted. Quickly. And sometimes embarrassingly.
Even the brilliance of superstar ace Paul Skenes and the fresh, no frills approach of manager Don Kelly -- promoted after Derek Shelton was fired in May -- couldn't stop the last-place club from being sellers at the trade deadline again.
In the span of 24 hours, general manager Ben Cherington sent away former franchise cornerstones Ke'Bryan Hayes and David Bednar in exchange for prospects, most of whom are years away from reaching the majors, if they ever even get there.
It's a pattern that has repeated itself over and over during Cherington's five-plus years on the job. Yet, unlike the early days of his top-to-bottom overhaul -- when Cherington tore the major league roster down to the studs while accumulating as many bodies as he could to replenish the club's bereft minor-league system -- it comes at a time when expectations both internally and externally are considerably higher.
Yet Cherington believes his approach checked all three boxes required to help Pittsburgh win in 2026, saying the Pirates added a significant group of young players, most notably, catcher/first base prospect Rafael Flores, who has 16 homers between Double-A and Triple-A this season.
The departures
The departure of Hayes at third base, Bednar, a two-time All-Star closer, and left-handed starter Bailey Falter will create opportunities for others down the stretch. Cherington also pointed out the expected exit of veterans currently on one-year deals -- infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, outfielder Tommy Pham and pitcher Andrew Heaney most notably -- will create considerable financial flexibility as Pittsburgh tries to upgrade an offense currently mired near the bottom of the majors in most offensive categories.
"There's always more things like that that you want to do, so I feel really good about the things we did do," Cherington said. "I do believe we put ourselves in a stronger position going into August, September and the offseason."