Ben Cherington said there is no part of the Pittsburgh Pirates roster he won’t look at and aim to improve a last-place team that has won 76 games in successive seasons.

After a last-place finish in the NL Central, the Pirates general manager knows the days of asking for patience in the midst of a rebuild are over. This one will require a quicker solution.

“We need to add wins to the major league team, but we’re doing it with the means we have and with the goal of getting better faster,” Cherington said. “We want to win and we also want to stay there as long as possible. So you have to keep that in mind.

That’s why Cherington tried to temper unrealistic expectations by adding a warning last month that the Pirates, as usual, won’t be major players when free agency officially begins at 5 p.m. Monday.

“We can use free agency as a tool, and we will,” Cherington said. “It will be a factor, but it’s just not going to be how we win here.”

Cherington said he expects Opening Day payroll, which increased from $73.3 million in 2023 to $86.4 million this year, to increase again for the season 2025. Part of this amount will come from within, notably with the contract of right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller which will increase from $5.85 million to $15.4 million next season. Then again, the fact that Keller and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes are locked into long-term contracts could make both trade candidates attractive for acquiring position players.

The Pirates spent $33.2 million on one-year contracts with six free agents last season, a slight increase from the $30.375 million they used to sign six players to free agent contracts one year in 2023.

The 2024 class consisted of lefties Aroldis Chapman ($10.5 million) and Martin Perez ($8 million), designated hitter Andrew McCutchen ($5 million) and first baseman Rowdy Tellez ($3.2 million dollars), as well as spring training additions with wide receiver Yasmani Grandal. ($2.5 million) and center fielder Michael A. Taylor ($4 million).

So Cherington knows something needs to change.

“If you look at the total, add up the total of all the free agents we’ve signed, that’s exactly the total contribution we’ve had, it’s been good,” Cherington said. “But that won’t be enough.”

That shouldn’t stop the Pirates from bringing back McCutchen, 38, as both sides have expressed mutual interest in his return. If he’s willing to play another season for $5 million, that’s a deal that should go through without issue.

With Oneil Cruz moving from shortstop to center field in late August, the Pirates solidified one position but could have created an opening in another. Cherington said Isiah Kiner-Falefa is “by far the most proven option at shortstop,” although he might be better suited for a utility role.

The Pirates could attempt to rotate Kiner-Falefa with 23-year-old Liover Peguero and second baseman Nick Gonzales, given the expected nine-figure price tag for top free agent shortstop Willy Adames. Or they could target Ha-Seong Kim, a 2023 Gold Glove winner who just had shoulder surgery and is set to earn $10 million.

The top priority position might be first base, where the Pirates have been tinkering with the idea of ​​moving All-Star left fielder Bryan Reynolds. Slugger Pete Alonso will be out of their price range and two-time Gold Glove winner Christian Walker is expected to command a $20 million annual commitment, which could make him too expensive.

And with Cruz in center, the Pirates are unlikely to pursue left-handed hitting Cody Bellinger. The 2019 National League MVP is coming off an 18-homer, 78-RBI season for the Chicago Cubs, but is expected to agree to a long-term deal worth more than $100 million.

The most likely candidates for first base include 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, although the 2022 NL MVP is showing signs of decline. Goldschmidt hit .245/.302/.414 with 33 doubles, 22 homers and 65 RBIs for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, which is still better than the combined production the Pirates got from Connor Joe and Rowdy Tellez. And Goldschmidt has a .303/.394/.488 slash line with 29 extra-base hits in 63 career games at PNC Park.

Another possibility is Anthony Rizzo, whose $17 million option is not expected to be picked up by the New York Yankees. Rizzo, 35, is a four-time Gold Glove winner who spent a decade in the NL Central with the Cubs but is coming off a career-worst season after hitting .228/.301/.335 with eight homers and 35 points produced in 92. games.

The Pirates could also be in the market for a first baseman, and Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays is in their sights. The 33-year-old right-handed hitter, who will earn $10 in 2025 with a $12 million club option in 2026, posted a solid slash line (.281/.341/.414) with 31 doubles, 14 homers and 65 runs scored produced last season.

Perhaps the position that needs to be addressed the most is the bullpen, where left-handers Chapman, Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki are free agents and two-time All-Star closer David Bednar has struggled against the ‘inconsistency.

The Pirates could entice Chapman to re-sign by offering him the closer job, considering his 335 career saves are just 42 shy of the all-time top 10. Cherington said he expects Bednar to be the favorite to return to that role, but the Pirates may be looking for competition.

Either way, the Pirates will need to add lefties to their relief corps. Tanner Scott is one of the best left-handed relievers on the market, especially at soft contact and with an elite whiff rate of 32.7%. Sinkerballer Scott Alexander might be a more realistic target, although his slider (.069 batting average against) might be his most effective pitch.

“On one hand, the bullpen wasn’t as important a part of the team as we thought it would be during the year,” Cherington said. “We had some positives, but not overall, part of the team not as strong as we thought. And so it has to improve. On the other hand, it is also the part of the team that is quickest to change and improve.

While the Pirates have invested more in throwing and catching over the past two offseasons, they now have better depth at both spots. They spent $5 million on Austin Hedges and $2.5 million on Yasmani Grandal as starting backup, but return Joey Bart, Henry Davis, Jason Delay and Endy Rodriguez next season.

The rotation returns Keller, Jared Jones, Paul Skenes, Bailey Falter and Luis Ortiz, and has depth in top 10 prospects Mike Burrows, Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington. And after missing last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Johan Oviedo is on pace to be ready for spring training.

Cherington said he received feedback from players that their starting pitching could make the Pirates more attractive in free agency.

“As far as the guys that we’ve talked to and pursued, with a few exceptions, you know, I just haven’t gotten the sense that any player has any hesitation about coming to Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “If the players didn’t do it, it’s simply because we won our bid. It happens. But I don’t think that’s an obstacle. I certainly hope and believe that the players will see the potential of this team and how exciting it can be to be a part of.