Franchise legend absent from fan festival, contract talks stalled. Will McCutchen return to Pittsburgh, or has their storied partnership finally run its course?
The Pittsburgh Pirates held their annual fan festival, PiratesFest, on a cold Saturday afternoon. Yet the event was well attended, and the fans, for a change, seemed optimistic about the franchise's direction following some interesting offseason player moves.
However, one person who wasn’t at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was franchise legend Andrew McCutchen. The 39-year-old designated hitter/outfielder is a free agent, and Pittsburgh has not made a contract offer to him with the start of spring training less than three weeks away.
During a fan forum with Pirates management, general manager Ben Cherington was asked about McCutchen’s future with the team. The GM gave a diplomatic answer that wasn’t particularly revealing.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team,” Cherington said. “He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly, his legacy as a Pirate is secure. Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.
“Then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to win games when you’re at the ballpark in June and July. Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons. That’s going to continue to guide our decisions. So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us. We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”
As context for Cherington’s comments, Pittsburgh has bolstered its lineup this winter after finishing last in the major leagues in runs scored and home runs last season on its way to a last-place finish in the National League Central. First baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn was signed to a two-year, $29-million contract in free agency, and second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum were acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Continuing the discussion on roster needs, Cherington said earlier this month that the Pirates would like to acquire another outfielder. McCutchen believes he can fill that need, but Pittsburgh believes he should be a full-time designated hitter, and he did not play in the field after May 12 last season. McCutchen, though, feels he can still be an asset defensively.
McCutchen’s frustration with the Pirates seemed to reach a tipping point on Saturday night. He made a lengthy post on X expressing his disappointment at not being invited to PiratesFest and not having a contract offer from Pittsburgh.
It will be interesting to see what happens between the Pirates and McCutchen. Since returning to Pittsburgh three seasons ago, his OPS+ is 104, a mark that is a few ticks above the major-league average.
The Pirates clearly believe better options than McCutchen are available, or they would have already signed him. Meanwhile, McCutchen isn’t happy about being Cherington’s Plan B, feeling he can help Pittsburgh reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.
One thing is certain: If the Pirates move on from him, McCutchen will make sure his exit is anything but quiet.
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