(TNS) —This is simple, really: Great starting pitching is akin to great quarterbacking in the sense that if you have it, you have a chance. You’re close, by any reasonable estimation. You have done the hard part.

Unfortunately, the Pirates have been unable to manage the easy part, which is forming even an average offensive team. General manager Ben Cherington has mangled that mission beyond belief, so if he’s still the guy in charge this offseason, you can forget everything below.

Cherington needs to go. That is step No. 1 for owner Bob Nutting. The Pirates must bring in a Jim Rutherford-type closer to finish this endless rebuilding job, somebody who can wheel and deal his way into some productive bats to complement the pitching. The Pirates don’t need Juan Soto. They just need some professional hitters.

First, they must have somebody in charge who can spend the few dollars Nutting gives him in much wiser fashion than Cherington has. Somebody who can parlay the surplus of pitching into a modicum of hitting. It can’t be that hard.

This is basically a .500 team, the way I see it. The Pirates were that for most of last season, before Derek Shelton nuked the month of August. And they have pretty much been that under new manager Don Kelly.

They don’t need a revolution to become a wild card contender, and that’s all I’m talking about here. Get me to a playoff series with this pitching. It’s hard NOT to contend for a wild card these days, yet Cherington somehow keeps pulling it off.

The Pirates lead Major League Baseball in shutouts with 16, yet are 17 games under .500 (they also lead in times being shut out at 15). That is astonishing. And it is reflected best in looking at Skenes’ situation. This guy is about to win the Cy Young Award, and he’s 8-9! Skenes almost never loses when the Pirates provide him decent run support.

It doesn’t take much.

This rotation should be positively electric at the top next season with Skenes and Bubba Chandler. Yes, Chandler’s numbers faded in Triple-A as the season wore on. I’m guessing he was bored or distracted or both. He should have been here way sooner.

Chandler also gets a higher strike zone in the majors, where that ridiculous fastball will play. You saw the arm talent and the A.J. Burnett-like intensity the other night in his major league debut.

Bubba’s a younger Batman. Fans are going to adore him.

Supplement Skenes with Chandler, April-to-August Mitch Keller (or the one we saw Tuesday night), Johan Oviedo, Braxton Ashcraft and possibly some other younger arms or a veteran arm, and, again, you have the hard part in-hand. The new GM would have some nice bullpen pieces, as well, and you can build bullpens cheaply.

Now the lineup. First thing is, you can’t replace everybody. You’re going to have to live with Spencer Horwitz (not much power) at first and Nick Gonzales (not much defense or power) at second. I’m guessing Jared Triolo will play short until the top prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin, is ready, and that could be by early next season (also of note, prized prospect Termarr Johnson, still only 21, has been on a tear of late in Double-A and could start next season in Triple-A, a phone call from the majors).

You’re also going to have to live with some combination of Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez and recent acquisition Rafael Flores (from Yankees in David Bednar trade). Flores is off to a good start at Triple-A Indy, including a two-homer, four-RBI game Tuesday night.

As horrific as Bryan Reynolds has been, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Throw out his best season (2021) and his worst (this one, by far) and you have the real Reynolds, which is to say a good-but-not-great hitter. I’ll take that. I think he’ll be that next season in right field.

Hopefully, Oneil Cruz can take a step forward after what has been a disappointing season — although he could still finish with 25 home runs and 40 steals before it’s done. He’s the center fielder.

That leaves three positions to transform: left field, designated hitter and third base. Three bats. If that means moving Keller, which should have happened at the deadline, please do so. If it means moving a highly rated young arm (Hunter Barco?), do it for a highly rated young hitter.

We know it would mean moving on from Andrew McCutchen, which would be painful but necessary. It’s time to upgrade at DH.

We also know Nutting isn’t going to allocate big dollars to free agency, so go find a $12 million hitter. The Pirates spent $10 million on a relief pitcher in free agency two years ago. Surely, they can find a decent hitter or two for a similar price.

It should be simple, really.