Ben Cherington declared that there was no part of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ roster he won’t examine and aim to improve upon a last-place team that has won 76 games in successive seasons.

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

“We’ve got to add wins to the major league team, however we do that within the means we have and an eye on getting better faster,” Cherington said. “We want to get to winning and we want to stay there as long as we can, too. So, need 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 pm Monday.

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

Cherington said he expected the Opening Day payroll, which went from $73.3 million in 2023 to $86.4 million this year, to increase again for the 2025 season. Some of that will come from within, most notably with right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller’s contract jumping from $5.85 million to $15.4 million next season. Then again, having Keller and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes locked in on long-term contracts could make both attractive trade candidates to acquire 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 on one-year free-agent deals in 2023.

The 2024 class that was headlined by left-handers Aroldis Chapman ($10.5 million) and Martin Perez ($8 million), designated hitter Andrew McCutchen ($5 million) and first baseman Rowdy Tellez ($3.2 million), plus spring training additions in catcher Yasmani Grandal ($2.5 million) and center fielder Michael A. Taylor ($4 million).

So Cherington knows something has to change.

“If you look up the total, add up the total of these are all the free agents we signed, this is exactly what the total contribution we got was, it’s been fine,” Cherington said. “But fine’s not going to be good enough.”

That shouldn’t stop the Pirates from bringing back the 38-year-old McCutchen, as both sides have expressed a mutual interest in his return. If he’s willing to play another season at $5 million it’s a deal that should get done with little problem.

With Oneil Cruz moving from shortstop to center field in late August, the Pirates solidified one position but might have created an opening at another. Cherington said Isiah Kiner-Falefa is “by far the most proven option at shortstop,” though 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 utility winner who is coming off shoulder surgery and projected to make $10 million.

The main position of priority could be first base, where the Pirates have tinkered 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 require a $20 million annual commitment, which might make him too expensive.

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

More likely candidates at first base include 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, even though the 2022 NL MVP is showing signs of decline. Goldschmidt batted .245/.302/.414 with 33 doubles, 22 home runs 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 batting .228/.301/.335 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in ’92 games.

The Pirates also could be in the trade market for a first baseman, and Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays has been in their sights. The 33-year-old right-handed hitter, who will make $10 million in 2025 with a club option for $12 million in ’26, posted a strong slash line (.281/.341/.414) with 31 doubles, 14 homers and 65 RBIs last season.

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

The Pirates could wait for Chapman to re-sign by dangling the closer job, given that his 335 career saves are only 42 shy of cracking the top-10 all-time. Cherington said he expects Bednar to be the frontrunner to return to that role, but the Pirates could look for competition.

Regardless, the Pirates will need to add left-handers to their relief corps. Tanner Scott is one of the best lefty relievers on the market, especially in drawing soft contact, and an elite 32.7% whiff rate. Sinkerballer Scott Alexander might be a more realistic target, though his slider (.069 batting average against) might be his most effective pitch.

“On the one hand, the bullpen was not as strong a part of the team as we thought it could be coming into the year,” Cherington said. “We had some bright spots but not overall, not as strong a part of the team as we thought it could be. And so that’s got to get better. On the other hand, it’s also the part of the team that’s the quickest to change and the quickest to improve.”

Where the Pirates invested more heavily in starting pitching and catching in the past two offseasons, they now have better depth in both spots. They spent $5 million on Austin Hedges and $2.5 million on Yasmani Grandal to be their starting backstops, 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’s received feedback from players that their starting pitching could make the Pirates more attractive in free agency.

“In terms of the guys we’ve actually talked to and pursued, with very few exceptions, you know, I just haven’t felt like any player is resistant to coming to Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “If players haven’t, it’s just because we got out bid. That happens. But I don’t anticipate that being a barrier. I certainly hope and I believe that players will see the potential of this team and how exciting it can be to be a part of this team.”