On Saturday, Ben Cherington met with the media to discuss the upcoming MLB draft on July 13 and 14.
The Pirates first pick in the 2025 draft comes at pick 6. Cherington says they are planning to look for the best available player.
"We're confident in our ability to draft and develop pitching. If that's the way it falls and it's a pitcher we'll be excited about that, but we have to create more offense and we know that as an organization," said Cherington.
Last year the Pirates went with Konnor Griffin with their first pick, a high school baseball player. Cherington says they feel pressure to create more offense in this year's draft and if not the draft, the trade deadline.
"We have to keep addressing it in every way possible. It's the draft, its International, it's trades, it's hitting development, it's the environment we have in the MLB, it's roster construction, it's how do we build a roster that fits PNC. I know how much awareness we have to solving that problem. This is something orginazationally for at least two years it's been very clear that to win, to deliver more to our fans. We have to create more offense."
The Pirates have seen players get to the MLB very quick in 2023 and 2024. Cherington says that they need to be careful and do what is best for the player.
"Not everyone is going to move fast. There's lots of good players who didn't move fast. I do think that particualary at the top of the draft, even for high school players, the access players have to really good development resources even before they get into pro ball, is continuing to get better than ever. The resources are out there. You don't have to wait to get into pro ball to take advantage of those resources. I do think at the top of the draft we're seeing players come into pro ball better equipped than ever."