Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington discusses the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in uncharted territory heading into the 2026 MLB trade deadline. For the first time in what feels like forever, the team is ready to add pieces to the roster rather than ship them away.
Still, that reality alone creates some new questions that must be answered before August 3: is Pittsburgh comfortable adding payroll, and are there any prospects the Pirates have off the table in trade talks?
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington talked to the media on Sunday and discussed a variety of topics concerning the deadline, including payroll, trade chips, and the team's overall potential plan.
Looking at the financial side of this, there was a report about a week ago that the Pirates would be aggressive but weren't willing to take on more money on their cap sheet.
However, Cherington pushed back on this a little bit.
"In terms of flexibility, not worried about that," explained the Pirates executive.
"There's a lot of talent in the organization. If we have to make trade, I'm confident we can make them. We can manage the other piece of it. There will be flexibility to do what we believe in, make sense for the Pirates to improve the team."
Jun 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington speaks on the phone in the dugout before the Pirates host the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsIf the Pirates were willing to add a little bit of money, that would really open up potential targets for them.
For example, Luke Weaver is a perfect trade candidate for Pittsburgh, but only if the organization is willing to take on his contract.
"I think we should just we just need to stay really open-minded," Cherington said. "We try not to be in the [prospect] untouchable world for the most part."
The executive went on to say a lot of that could come down to what type of players the Pirates are potentially trading for: rentals, controllable players, or prospects. The type of player the team could get back could change what they're willing to give up.
At the end of the day, Cherington alluded multiple times to the team positioning itself to be buyers at the deadline.
"I believe major league seasons are each one is precious," explained Cherington. "And so if you're in the middle of one and have a chance, then you should do everything you can to try to give that team a chance."
