After spending 12 of his 18 Major League seasons with the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen said back in August that he wanted to return for another season in the black-and-gold, while acknowledging that his shortcomings during the 2025 season. “I have to do what I need to do to…show that I was able to have a good year and still can play the following year,” McCutchen said, noting that he didn’t want to be just “filling in a spot” and not contributing.
There hasn’t been any buzz about McCutchen’s market as he enters his age-39 season, with the assumption being that the Pirates are his only potential destination. When asked about McCutchen during the PiratesFest fan event this weekend, Bucs GM Ben Cherington told fans and reporters (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that the club is still has to assemble more of its roster before considering McCutchen’s role.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said. “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 gonna 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.”
McCutchen hit .239/.333/.367 with 13 homers over 551 plate appearances in 2025, translating to a 95 wRC+. While it was just the second time in McCutchen’s stellar career that he dropped under the 100 wRC+ mark for league-average offense, most of his Statcast metrics were also average at best, apart from a very strong 12.2% walk rate.
These aren’t the numbers you want from a designated hitter in particular, and McCutchen is primarily a DH at this point in his career, with only 20 games played in the outfield during his 2023-25 return tenure in Pittsburgh. To this end, the Pirates have seemingly already addressed the DH spot by signing Ryan O’Hearn, who may alternate with Spencer Horwitz between the first base and DH positions in the lineup.
O’Hearn can also play in the corner outfield, and since O’Hearn and Horwitz are both left-handed hitters, there would seemingly be some roster space for Cutch as a part-time righty bat who is perhaps limited to facing southpaw pitching. As Cherington implied, however, the Pirates remain looking for ways to improve the team. If that means choosing between McCutchen or a younger and more versatile position player, the second option might simply make more sense for the Pirates.
Improving the offense has been the club’s chief goal this winter. Between O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Jake Mangum, the Bucs hope they’ve already both raised the ceiling and elevated the floor of their offensive potential, plus it would naturally help a ton if Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz bounced back from disappointing 2025 campaigns. As underwhelming as McCutchen’s 2025 numbers were, his 95 wRC+ still ranked fourth amongst all Pirates hitters last year, speaking to the lackluster state of Pittsburgh’s lineup.
If McCutchen was any other player, it probably wouldn’t even be a question that the Pirates would move from an aging DH-only bat. However, cutting ties with a franchise icon doesn’t sound like something Cherington (or likely owner Bob Nutting) wants to do until it is absolutely necessary, or if Cutch makes the decision to retire on his own terms. Part of the reason McCutchen returned to the Pirates prior to the 2023 season was his desire to be part of Pittsburgh’s next winning era, yet with seven straight losing seasons, the Bucs have yet to fully break out of their rebuild.
Breaking through to at least a winning record (and maybe a playoff berth) with McCutchen on the roster would be ideal for all parties. McCutchen’s previous three one-year deals with the Pirates were signed earlier in the offseason than January 24, though of course there’s still plenty of time before Spring Training for a deal to be worked out between the two sides.
Pirates fans–read the outside perspective here and take note. I love Cutch but he is not a contending team’s primary DH.
Here’s the thing the pirates aren’t contenders
Agree 100% but for the pirates trotting out a replacement level dh is fine. Especially when it’s a franchise icon. He will sell some tickets. People going to see cutch one last time.
You could do a lot worse..but you’re right. He’s not a DH on a contender.
Besides, if the Pirates want a cheap, fan-service veteran with good clubhouse vibes and a little left in the tank as a hitter for their DH, Starling Marte is out there available. Marte’s 111 OPS+ would have been second on the entire roster, regardless of number of plate appearances.
Please don’t resign Andrew, we need better.
You have Yorke, Password and Suwinski as backups. Cutch is superior to those three at the moment. He makes the team better on a couple million dollars deal with small incentive bonuses. Quintana probably helps Pirates more but no reason they can’t have both. Cutch is not part of the equation to either sign or not sign Geno.
Time to move on, cutch had a great career
Surprised they haven’t already re-signed him. If I’m the Pirates this would be my #1 goal to bring him back.
Or Maybe not. I had no idea he was 39
I think the moves the Pirates have made this offseason show they are actually trying to win, not sure carrying a DH who can’t hit anymore makes too much sense even if he is a franchise legend.
Just let Unc retire
I know Pittsburgh loves Cutch, but he’s already a shell of himself. Let him enjoy his retirement.
Clutch’s bat fills the Ke’bryan Hayes bat in the lineup at this point of his career
Ramon Urias would make the Pirates a better team. He could be the every day third basemen with the ability to move around the infield. Marcell Ozuna is still out there too, and he would be an upgrade over McCutchen at DH.
I would rather see what Triolo candor with a full season after swing adjustments, if we dont trade or sign a player like Suarez there is no reason to sign a player like Urias when you already have a gold glove caliber player on thr roster
Andrew is a wonderful guy with a great history. Yet, memories of Willie Mays stumbling across the Mets’ outfield and Mickey Mantle hobbling around the bases, remind me how hard it is for aged stars to face the reality that enough is enough. And that more is counter productive.
Pirates ruining baseball with all this spending. Starting to act like the Dodgers…
He needs to gracefully bow out. He has no real goals to reach (3,000 hits is over 700 away). Do the classy thing, Cutch, and announce your retirement with class and dignity.
They still need bats. Its probably time to say goodbye.
Sadly, I think next year he’ll get a flyer, maybe from a team like the Angels or White Sox, but will flame out mid season and call it a career.
Cherington is one of the smartest GM’s in the league. He will do the right thing as he always does. Pirate fans just need to trust the process.
There is always room for Cutch. If I had to choose between suarez or Cutch, I’d pick Cutch. That said, another role might be a better fit.
Honestly, if the Pirates aren’t going to sign Ozuna then what is the harm in bringing back Cutch for a farewell tour?
Issue is does Cutch want to retire? Sense he doesn’t. But would be curious as to if ANY other team would tender him a MLB contract.
The Pirates should be his last stop. He’d be great if he was truly ready to hang them up.
Pirates can almost certainly do better at this point, even by Pirates standards.
It’s tough, but he should retire and be remembered for the great Pirate that he was.
I’d rather see Cutch on the 26-man roster than Nick Yorke, Jack Suwinski, and Endy Rodriguez to name a few currently taking up space on 40-man roster.
retire
I’m not against not signing Cutch, but I’m definitely against giving Suwinski a roster spot over him.
Nothing for him to accomplish, let the young ones play.
Cutch seems very insistent on wanting to play. I wonder how many other teams outside of Pittsburgh would be interested?? I would be fine with him retiring and staying a part of the team in some capacity. I really hope he doesn’t sign elsewhere and have a crappy final season. If he comes back, I want the expectation to be a part time DH and outfielder. Not an everyday player. They have guys who would benefit from DH reps.
I can’t imagine too many teams wanting a 40 year old batting .230 and hitting 10 homers.
Random question but was just looking at his stats and was wondering why he had a negative war in 2016. Stats are solid, not spectacular of course, and that was the catalyst year for the start of his decline, but a negative war seems a bit harsh.
One of the most overrated players in recent memory.