Overview
- Multiple team officials told The Athletic the Pirates mishandled communication with Andrew McCutchen and avoided forthright talks about offering no guarantees beyond 2025.
- Internal discussions contemplated a limited role for McCutchen, possibly restricted to designated hitter duties, but the club chose not to deliver that message directly, reportedly out of fear of confrontation.
- McCutchen has expressed a desire to continue in Pittsburgh, while the team appears poised to move forward without him, leaving a reunion possible yet uncertain.
- Owner Bob Nutting recently met with McCutchen, according to a person briefed on the conversation, though no agreement has been reached.
- Pittsburgh traded for Brandon Lowe and signed Ryan O’Hearn, did not invite McCutchen to PiratesFest, and the 39-year-old publicly vented on X after posting a .239/.333/.367 line with 57 RBIs in 2025.