PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington says the team needs to get better faster following a last-place finish in the NL Central. The Pirates posted a 76-86 record in 2024, the same mark the club had in 2023. Cherington fired hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage after the Pirates struggled to hit and close out games during a second-half freefall. Cherington says manager Derek Shelton will return in 2025 and that both he and Shelton know it’s their job to build around a young pitching rotation that includes NL Rookie of the Year candidate Paul Skenes.