Things are awkward between Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates. But conflict might have been unavoidable.
February 3, 2026
Things are awkward between Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates. But conflict might have been unavoidable.
8 comments
On another note, Rosenthal said that the Pirates apparently tried to sign Eugenio Suarez to a 1-year deal similar to the one he signed with the Reds, but that he decided to go with Cincinnati instead.
Anyways, here’s some more context.
>Here’s the thing about Andrew McCutchen versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, which of course should be Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates, and still might be in the end:
>The Pirates screwed up. They know they screwed up, according to multiple people in the organization who were granted anonymity for their candor. But if they were as direct as they should have been with McCutchen, informing him last season or even last offseason that 2025 would be his final year with the club, he probably would not have reacted well.
>His recent social media posts indicate as much, reinforcing that, with a player of McCutchen’s stature, closing out a long-term partnership is not always easy.
>“There’s more work to do and I’m not done, no matter what label you try to stamp on me,” McCutchen said on Jan. 24 on Twitter in response to a Pittsburgh media personality who posted that the Pirates “have to look at different/better ways to win, even if it means moving on.” “Rip the jersey off me. You don’t get to write my future, God does.”
>[…]
>Perhaps owner Bob Nutting will intercede and order general manager Ben Cherington to sign McCutchen, fearing yet another public relations nightmare if the team’s relationship with a franchise legend collapses. Nutting met personally with McCutchen last Thursday, according to a person briefed on their conversation. The Pirates have not ruled out the 17-year veteran’s return.
>And so, the awkwardness continues.
Cutch will be signed this week
If the Pirates do not think McCutchen will be a valuable player for them, don’t sign him. I understand why people in the organization think they screwed up for not being more direct with him, but at the same point, they can’t be held hostage by a guy who wants to keep playing but they don’t think will be an effective player for them going forward.
I understand a player with McCutchen’s track record and history with the franchise is a tough situation to manage, but the team needs to do what is best for the team, not what is best for McCutchen. I’m fine if they do decide to bring him back as a bench piece and explicitly say “this is your last year”, but it needs to be for the benefit of the team, not because McCutchen wants to keep playing.
rosenthal always throws in weasel words like “might” in his work. i dont care what “might” be true, man. just give me insight and tell me whats happening.
just fyi to everyone, there is nothing new in this article. Everyone here already knows everything in the article.
in cutch’s last ranting tweet, he had a line in there that has me thinking.
he has a line about things being “bigger than a 40 man roster.”
i have this nagging suspicion that everyone internally knows he will be back, but theyve asked him to wait until they can place players on the 60 day IL. that’s sometime during spring training.
why else evoke the 40 man roster, ya know?
Man… this organization is just such a cluster u-know-what…. This off-season is a perfect example.
They’re NOW in a position where they may HAVE TO SETTLE and sign the organization’s greatest modern day hitter, because of how badly they’ve failed to Bring in 2 additional hitters, to round out this roster. Let that one sink in…. They may have to settle and sign him. It’s so suffocating to be a fan of this. They can’t get out of their own way. They can’t NOT piss people and players off… fools.
Mismanagement all over the place.
SELL. THE. TEAM. Its over. Hand the keys to someone who can actually run a franchise,
A business, right.
If Cutch is willing to play outfield and be in the line up 2-3 times a week, sign him over Suwinski,
If he wants to be in the line up every day as a DH, sorry that slot isn’t open
The hardest thing to coach is an aging superstar. They’ve been told all their life they can’t do it, the odds are stacked against you. And they are, but these are the select few that overcome those odds. So their confidence is understandably high. But unfortunately at some point Father Time comes for us all. O
8 comments
On another note, Rosenthal said that the Pirates apparently tried to sign Eugenio Suarez to a 1-year deal similar to the one he signed with the Reds, but that he decided to go with Cincinnati instead.
Anyways, here’s some more context.
>Here’s the thing about Andrew McCutchen versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, which of course should be Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates, and still might be in the end:
>The Pirates screwed up. They know they screwed up, according to multiple people in the organization who were granted anonymity for their candor. But if they were as direct as they should have been with McCutchen, informing him last season or even last offseason that 2025 would be his final year with the club, he probably would not have reacted well.
>His recent social media posts indicate as much, reinforcing that, with a player of McCutchen’s stature, closing out a long-term partnership is not always easy.
>“There’s more work to do and I’m not done, no matter what label you try to stamp on me,” McCutchen said on Jan. 24 on Twitter in response to a Pittsburgh media personality who posted that the Pirates “have to look at different/better ways to win, even if it means moving on.” “Rip the jersey off me. You don’t get to write my future, God does.”
>[…]
>Perhaps owner Bob Nutting will intercede and order general manager Ben Cherington to sign McCutchen, fearing yet another public relations nightmare if the team’s relationship with a franchise legend collapses. Nutting met personally with McCutchen last Thursday, according to a person briefed on their conversation. The Pirates have not ruled out the 17-year veteran’s return.
>And so, the awkwardness continues.
Cutch will be signed this week
If the Pirates do not think McCutchen will be a valuable player for them, don’t sign him. I understand why people in the organization think they screwed up for not being more direct with him, but at the same point, they can’t be held hostage by a guy who wants to keep playing but they don’t think will be an effective player for them going forward.
I understand a player with McCutchen’s track record and history with the franchise is a tough situation to manage, but the team needs to do what is best for the team, not what is best for McCutchen. I’m fine if they do decide to bring him back as a bench piece and explicitly say “this is your last year”, but it needs to be for the benefit of the team, not because McCutchen wants to keep playing.
rosenthal always throws in weasel words like “might” in his work. i dont care what “might” be true, man. just give me insight and tell me whats happening.
just fyi to everyone, there is nothing new in this article. Everyone here already knows everything in the article.
in cutch’s last ranting tweet, he had a line in there that has me thinking.
he has a line about things being “bigger than a 40 man roster.”
i have this nagging suspicion that everyone internally knows he will be back, but theyve asked him to wait until they can place players on the 60 day IL. that’s sometime during spring training.
why else evoke the 40 man roster, ya know?
Man… this organization is just such a cluster u-know-what…. This off-season is a perfect example.
They’re NOW in a position where they may HAVE TO SETTLE and sign the organization’s greatest modern day hitter, because of how badly they’ve failed to Bring in 2 additional hitters, to round out this roster. Let that one sink in…. They may have to settle and sign him. It’s so suffocating to be a fan of this. They can’t get out of their own way. They can’t NOT piss people and players off… fools.
Mismanagement all over the place.
SELL. THE. TEAM. Its over. Hand the keys to someone who can actually run a franchise,
A business, right.
If Cutch is willing to play outfield and be in the line up 2-3 times a week, sign him over Suwinski,
If he wants to be in the line up every day as a DH, sorry that slot isn’t open
The hardest thing to coach is an aging superstar. They’ve been told all their life they can’t do it, the odds are stacked against you. And they are, but these are the select few that overcome those odds. So their confidence is understandably high. But unfortunately at some point Father Time comes for us all. O