BEN CHERINGTON | PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH PIRATES

One of the reasons Ben Cherington “fully expects” manager Derek Shelton to return in 2025 is the Pirates’ general manager believes the Bucs are improving under Shelton’s tutelage.

Cherington makes such assessments, he emphasized, based on much more than wins and losses, which at least partially explains rubber-stamping a manager whose team has clearly regressed.

“You look at complexion of the roster and where players are on the roster, where they are in their careers,” Cherington explained this week. “We can look under the hood and look at how many runs we’re scoring, how many we’re giving up. We can look at other metrics under the hood.

“We can look at also sort of the next wave and where depth is in the organization, both Major League and Triple-A, and how that portends to offseason opportunities, roster construction for next year.

“I do believe there’s good evidence that we’re in a better position and we’re improved.”

The Pirates’ 70-76 record through their first 146 games emphatically suggested otherwise.

They’re going to have to sprint to the finish to match or better last season’s 76-86 effort.

And they’re going to have to do that despite adding Aroldis Chapman this season, despite not having pitching phenoms Paul Skenes and Jared Jones last season, despite having Oneil Cruz healthy this season after he played in just nine games last season, and despite making relatively subtle but significant additions at the trade deadline this season.

Clearly, something’s amiss.

It’s entirely possible the manager and his staff are much more part of the problem than they are part of the solution.

The staff, or certain members of it, may yet feel Cherington’s wrath.

That’s to be determined, apparently. The director of international scouting and the director of research and development, meanwhile, have already been fired. And the director of pro scouting is being reassigned.

Why is it that Shelton (assuming Cherington is on solid ground and his full expectations for Shelton’s return resonate longer than the recent declaration that Cruz would remain a shortstop) has avoided the type of end-of-the-season, deep-dive scrutiny that’s clearly warranted?

Perhaps it’s because the Pirates aren’t in need of such a high-profile sacrificial lamb.

They may have turned 55-52 into oblivion, but no matter how bad it gets they’ll still have plenty of hope to sell after this season ends.

They’ll have those pitching phenoms, Skenes and Jones, the former of which might well end up winning National League Rookie of the Year.

They’ll have Cruz, who remains intriguing even if he has been switched to centerfield.

And, presumably, they’ll have Andrew McCutchen, who has absolutely earned another contract beyond his profound popularity by being among the most productive hitters on a team that has been offensively challenged all season.

In lieu of actually competing, the Pirates can spend the offseason selling how hard they’re trying.

They don’t need Shelton’s head on a stick to appease the masses.

Or Cherington’s, for that matter.

They don’t need to bring in new leadership with a new approach and new ideas to keep the fans base interested.

The alternative is less expensive (always a plus for owner Bob Nutting) and less bloody.

Stay the course on a sinking ship and keep bailing water.

And, whenever possible, Raise the Jolly Roger.

That’s about as full as any Pirates fans’ expectations should ever get.

Mike Prisuta is the sports anchor/reporter for Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show. He’s also the host of the Steelers Radio Network Pregame Show and the color analyst for Robert Morris University men’s hockey broadcasts.