Pirates preparing to hold Ben Cherington accountable for difficult Mitch Keller trade decision

As Ben Cherington searches for any answers he can come up with to save his job with the Pirates, one of the biggest trade chips he has ever had in Mitch Keller could be the decider. Bob Nutting has reportedly left the decision about Keller's fate up to Cherington, and their current intention is unknown.

Ken Rosenthal released an article for The Athletic this weekend discussing how “torn” the Pirates are about this Keller situation. There is no current clarity on the team's Keller decision. Dealing him could help Pittsburgh import better offensive players, while opening up financial flexibility to add more bats in the offseason. On the other hand, keeping Keller and the rest of this core would make sense to complement Paul Skenes and allow them to add more in the offseason, but Nutting has not shown a willingness to extend his wallet to that extent.

It sounds like, according to Rosenthal, Cherington is hesitant to bail on the controllable portions of the Pirates' core.

The decision regarding Mitch Keller is up to Ben Cherington so the Pirates can hold him accountable.

As Rosenthal stated,"The right offer would tempt the Pirates, but some with the team believe the best way to win with ace right-hander Paul Skenes is to keep some of their core pieces, from Keller to closer David Bednar to setup man Dennis Santana to right fielder Bryan Reynolds to center fielder Oneil Cruz.”

This quote, which Stephen Nesbitt reported earlier this week, really explains why Cherington is feeling the pressure on this particular choice: “If the sixth-year GM is on the hot seat, as many in the industry believe, (the deadline) could be his last chance to chart a course toward contention in 2026 that persuades Nutting to give him another year.”

Ultimately, what Nutting is doing here is setting Cherington up for the blame if Keller is not dealt and they miss an opportunity to fix the team. It’s now publicly been placed on Cherington’s shoulders, thanks to Rosenthal's column. If the Pirates don’t get an offer that could save their offense, then what would be the point in trading Keller? The rotation would go downhill as well without him, so if he’s gone for players that aren't making a strong impact to the big league squad, then that wouldn’t make sense at all for Cherington, as his tenure hangs in the balance.

There is not much time to work with until the deadline hits, and Keller is easily one of the top arms on the market. Cherington’s job is at stake here, and if he slips, Nutting is apparently ready to move on.