Pirates know exactly where to strengthen to help Paul Skenes ahead of upcoming 2026 MLB season

The goal is clear for the Pittsburgh Pirates: to have a smart offseason in order to improve on last season’s performance. This team had the worst offense in MLB in 2025, finishing last in the National League Central, and it is confident that with Paul Skenes leading the way, things will get better in 2026.

Ben Cherington, General Manager of the Pirates, knows exactly where to strengthen the roster in the remaining offseason to make the team a contender in the upcoming season.

“We have several weeks between now and Opening Day. It’s our job to use every day to hunt opportunities to get better,” he said, per MLB.com. “I’m confident we will continue to add to the roster during that time.

“[We] would like to add back to pitching,” Cherington also added. “We’ve traded a little bit of pitching, so would like to add back to that. We’d still like to add to the position-player group. You look at the left side of the infield; obviously there are guys we like. [Jared] Triolo emerged [in] the second half of the year. He’s earned opportunity there.

General Manager Ben Cherington of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“But if we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for. We’ll remain opportunistic in the outfield. See what comes our way. Hope to add to the pitching group in some form.”

Full confidence in Paul Skenes

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After a historic 2025 campaign that culminated in a unanimous NL Cy Young Award, Paul Skenes has firmly established himself as the undisputed ace and leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Despite a deceptive 10-10 record, the 23-year-old phenom dominated the league with a staggering 1.97 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, while racking up 216 strikeouts over 187.2 innings.

As the franchise looks to snap its postseason drought in 2026, the front office and fans alike are placing their full confidence in Skenes to anchor the rotation. With his elite “stuff” and a growing reputation as a vocal leader in the clubhouse, Skenes is widely viewed as the cornerstone capable of transforming the Pirates into a legitimate October contender this year.