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By Zach Pressnell
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Pittsburgh Pirates will once again be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, and practically every player on the team has been mixed in some kind of trade rumors.
There are the expiring players on the team who are almost certainly going to be moved.
Then there were the trade rumors that suggested Pittsburgh could cut ties with Paul Skenes and O'Neil Cruz. Those rumors have since been put to bed.
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Now, Mitch Keller is arguably the most popular Pirates player seemingly on the trade block as the deadline quickly approaches. But Pirates general manager Ben Cherington recently addressed these rumors, and it doesn't seem like he has any interest in trading Keller before Thursday's deadline.
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"Yeah, I think the leadership certainly and just the proven performance," Cherington said of Keller's value to the team. "If we're going to be better in 2026, we need more of that, not less. We would only contemplate giving up something that's seemingly more proven if we really believe that they give us a better chance to be better by next year."
It seems like Cherington plans to keep Keller for this season at least.
Keller is under contract for a few more years, and the Pirates seemingly love having his veteran presence at the top of their starting rotation.
While Pittsburgh has a lot of talented pitching prospects surging up the minor league ladder, it's no guarantee that any of these young arms will pan out. Injuries could also impact their futures.
Keller has proved he's a competitor at the big league level. It would be a step backward if the Pirates opted to trade him, and Cherington seems to acknowledge that the team wants to move forward rather than backward.
More MLB: Pirates GM Breaks Silence On Latest David Bednar Trade Rumors
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