Ben Cherington Defends Pirates’ Controversial Trade Deadline

As expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates were busy this week. As one of the few clear sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline, they made several notable moves, dramatically shaking up their roster.

Now that the dust has settled, some fans are questioning Ben Cherington’s approach at the deadline. He traded six players away and got nine in return, only one of whom has Major League experience. Of the six he traded, three (David Bednar, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bailey Falter) were still under team control through at least next year.

Not only were those moves generally unpopular with the fanbase, but they also didn’t align with Cherington’s goal of helping improve the team for 2026. Bednar’s an All-Star closer, Hayes is a Gold Glove-winning third baseman and Falter’s having the best season of his career, making those trades somewhat head-scratching.

Meanwhile, three players on expiring contracts (Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham and Isiah Kiner-Falefa) were not dealt.

The Pirates general manager defended his controversial deadline strategy in a press conference on Thursday night, explaining his reasoning behind the moves.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington said his trade deadline focus was on improving the 2026 Pirates. He believes he’s done that, by creating opportunities for young players, acquiring prospects, and increasing “maneuverability.”

Here’s how he explained his moves: https://t.co/qWW4cQLQGS

— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) August 1, 2025

“I feel very good about what we did, and of course there’s always more that you want to do,” Cherington said via Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I do believe we put ourselves in a stronger position going into August, September and the offseason.”

Cherington believes his trades improved the farm system, opened up playing time for young players and created some “maneuverability” with the payroll going forward.

While Cherington hoped to acquire hitting at the deadline and said “there were opportunities on the table for us,” he was not “comfortable” with the price and will attempt to bolster the lineup this winter.

Cherington said he thinks the trade deadline was a step in the right direction for Pittsburgh, but acknowledged that the rebuild is still a work in progress.

“Certainly, we’re not finished. There’s obviously a lot more work to be done.”

More Pirates: Pirates Deal Bailey Falter To Royals At Trade Deadline