Photo provided by Eddie Provident
Several weeks ago, I looked at the case for and the case against the Pittsburgh Pirates bringing back Andrew McCutchen for the 2026 season.
Ultimately, I took the stance that McCutchen should be brought back for what would be his 13th season in Pittsburgh even if it meant a lesser role as a part-time or platoon DH and a spot outfielder when needed.
My stance remains the same after tensions between both parties hit an all-time high over the weekend.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was non-committal about bringing back McCutchen when asked by a fan at PiratesFest on Saturday. A few hours later, McCutchen responded with a post on Twitter/X that expressed clear and understandable frustration for a player not yet ready to call it a career.
I wonder, did the Cards do this Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw?Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on. If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player. Talk to them about my appreciation for them over the years. Shake that… https://t.co/oB8Nq1bjng
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) January 25, 2026
There hasn’t been much to complain about from the Pirates this offseason. They swung a big trade to acquire All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and two others from the Tampa Bay Rays, signed their first multi-year free agent in fellow 2025 All-Star Ryan O’Hearn and made several other additions.
But now the Pirates have ticked off a fan favorite and their most popular player of the 21st century. The good news for them is there’s an easy fix, even if they have to save face in the process.
Bring him back. Sign McCutchen to another one-year deal, which could be his last as he’ll turn 40 years old in October. No, McCutchen shouldn’t get everyday at-bats as a designated hitter, but he could still have a role on this team.
Though McCutchen isn’t the MVP-caliber player he was in 2013, he’s still proven he can be an effective player. Combined between his last three seasons since coming back to Pittsburgh, he owns a .242/.345/.391 batting line with 59 doubles, 45 home runs, 150 RBI and a 104 OPS+.
It’s true that 2025 was the worst statistical season of McCutchen’s career with a .700 OPS (95 OPS+). But it’s also true he hit .267 and had a .743 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Given that most of the fire-power in the Pirates’ lineup all bat from the left side of the plate — Spencer Horwitz, Oneil Cruz, Lowe, O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds (switch-hitter), McCutchen would offer a right-handed complement against lefties. He can be in the lineup against left-handed starters and could pinch-hit late in games against lefty relievers.
Plus, it’s not like the bench is filled with more obvious talent than McCutchen. Looking at Roster Resource, the projected bench consists of Henry Davis, Nick Yorke, Jack Suwinski and Jhostynxon GarcÃa.
Davis will get one of those spots sharing time with Joey Bart behind the plate. A versatile infielder would also be needed. But Suwinski? I’d rather have McCutchen getting at-bats, and GarcÃa would be better served getting everyday at-bats with Triple-A Indianapolis rather than spotty playing time in the big leagues. If there were better alternatives, my stance might change.
McCutchen’s recent statements about his willingness to play the outfield add to my belief he should be brought back. Though it was a limited sample early in the season in 2025, he held his own in right field when filling in for Bryan Reynolds during an arm injury that kept him from playing the outfield.
But those are the on-field reasons. There are even more reasons to bring him back than between the white lines.
He’s been a leader in a clubhouse in need of one during the last three seasons. There’s no stat to measure a player’s leadership, but McCutchen would lead the team if there was.
But beyond that, no player has meant more to Pittsburgh and the Pirates since…? You can form your own opinions, but certainly this millennium.
The Pirates have their best chance of winning since McCutchen captained the ship that made it to Buctober three straight years from 2013-15. He deserves to be part of the team that is actually putting some effort into trying to get back there for the first time since.
I go back to what Bob Nutting said in 2023 after spearheading the efforts to bring him back. I’m paraphrasing, but the Pirates owner essentially said McCutchen should remain with the Pirates as long as he wants to.
Well, McCutchen wants to come back.
Is he a perfect fit given the 2026 roster construction? No, but he’s earned the right to be here and just as good — if not a better alternative — to some of the options who will fill out the position-player side of the 26-man roster.
McCutchen earned one more year in Pittsburgh. Might as well run it back.
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