Pirates President Travis Williams said that the club’s “goal and expectation is that we win and make the playoffs,” and to do that they “have to be aggressive,” according to Jason Mackey of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Whatever “form that aggressiveness takes is what could make this offseason different from any of the others” under Williams and GM Ben Cherington, with the Pirates “aiming to be a lot more active via free agency and trades.” So far this winter, the Pirates have “sniffed around a few top-end bats,” but “having interest and acting are two different things.” Williams said owner Bob Nutting “set clear goals and expectations of both myself and Ben -- to win and make the playoffs,” and Nutting also has “made sure we have the resources to do it.” Mackey noted the Pirates currently have between $62-67M in payroll commitments for 2026. Williams declined to talk specifically about how high the Pirates payroll could go, but he “reiterated a belief they’ll have enough resources to compete.” Williams acknowledged “the heat” on himself, Cherington and Nutting to “field a winning team in 2026.” Mackey wrote it “certainly seems to be the end of the line” for Williams and Cherington, who have been in place since after the 2019 season. Nutting has “been way too patient before, and there have obviously been plenty of loud calls for Williams and Cherington to lose their jobs” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 11/25).
Pirates president says club to be ‘aggressive’ in building winner
