With spring training just around the corner, the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in a familiar-but emotionally complicated-spot. Andrew McCutchen, the face of the franchise for over a decade and a beloved figure in the Steel City, remains unsigned. And while he’s made it clear he wants to play in 2026-ideally in black and gold-the front office hasn’t pulled the trigger yet.
McCutchen, now 39, isn’t just another veteran looking for one more ride. He’s a former National League MVP, a five-time All-Star, and the player most responsible for bringing playoff baseball back to Pittsburgh after a 20-year drought.
His impact on the city and the clubhouse goes beyond the stat sheet. But baseball, as always, is a business-and the Pirates are at a crossroads.
At last month’s PiratesFest, General Manager Ben Cherington was asked about McCutchen’s status during the “Ask Management” segment. His response was respectful and diplomatic, but it left plenty of room for interpretation.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team,” Cherington said. “He’s had an incredible run, in two different times with the Pirates. Certainly, his legacy as a Pirate is secure, and our desire - everybody at the Pirates would desire - is to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.”
Cherington’s words were warm, but they also hinted at a larger organizational focus-one that may not include McCutchen in the plans for 2026. The GM emphasized the team’s priority is to build the best possible roster and win as many games as possible, a subtle reminder that nostalgia doesn’t always fit neatly into a competitive rebuild.
“So much respect for Andrew,” Cherington added. “That relationship is really important to us, and we’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”
That last line-“we have more work to do”-could be doing a lot of heavy lifting. It suggests the front office is still weighing its options, perhaps waiting to see how the roster shakes out before making a final call. It also leaves the door open, even if just slightly, for McCutchen to return.
For some fans, the answer is simple: bring him back. He’s earned that farewell tour, and his presence in the clubhouse could be invaluable to a young team still learning how to win.
For others, it’s time to turn the page. Sentimentality is a luxury for teams not trying to climb out of the NL Central basement.
The Pirates are trying to thread a needle here-balancing respect for a franchise icon with the cold calculus of roster construction. Whether or not McCutchen gets one more season in Pittsburgh, one thing is clear: his legacy is already cemented. He brought relevance back to PNC Park, carried a city on his back, and gave Pirates fans something to believe in again.
Now, it’s up to the front office to decide whether there’s one more chapter to write-or if the story has already found its ending.