PITTSBURGH — Ben Cherington insisted he’s not obsessing over semantics.

Or trying to insult anyone’s intelligence.

But when the Pirates general manager looks at his roster, as well as what he and others must do to make the club competitive again, Cherington does not consider it a rebuild, even if many who follow the Pirates think that’s the route they should go.

Cherington understands why people keep asking him about a rebuild. He also respectfully disagrees with calling this that.

“We’re not tearing something down to start over,” Cherington told the Post-Gazette on Wednesday. “We are simply taking a team that wasn’t good enough or wasn’t as good as we wanted to be last year, but has a group of players with a chance to be much better, and we’re trying to build on that.”

To make his point, Cherington brought up the Starling Marte trade, pointing out that it’s the only one he’s made to this point involving a major league player. He’s not wrong.

“If we had made four or five other trades involving more established major league players who were on last year’s team, then maybe I’d think about it differently,” Cherington said.

Cherington also came across as relatable and sympathetic whenever discussing how his aversion using the term “rebuilding” probably doesn’t sit well with fans.

“This is one where I can understand how honest, reasonable people might see it differently,” Cherington said. “But this is honestly how I see it. This is honestly how I feel. So it’s honestly how I’ve tried to answer the question.

“If I think about the word rebuild, what comes to my mind is a team that has been doing well that you are taking apart to then rebuild it, and you’re in the process of doing that. It feels more like where the Blue Jays were after 2016. We knew we were going to have to rebuild that roster. That’s what happened over the last couple years, and hopefully now they’re getting closer to being more competitive.”

There’s some truth to that, as the Blue Jays did reach the ALCS in back-to-back seasons (2015-16) before having to endure a gradual fire sale.