It has been an absolute joy getting to see Andrew McCutchen rejoin the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 after playing elsewhere for five seasons. McCutchen has been signing one-year deals in the offseason over
the last couple of seasons, but now as the Pirates are investing in their lineup more than ever he remains unsigned with the 2026 season fast approaching. The question lingers: will the Pirates resign McCutchen?
On the surface, there is still some upside to McCutchen being brought back to Pittsburgh, albeit slim and fading. The Pirates organization has approached this offseason very uncharacteristically in comparison to years past. They have made big offers to big time free-agents, and have signed and traded for several pieces that will help improve a putrid lineup that ranked last in several offensive statistical categories in 2025. Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Jake Magnum were all brought in to bring new life to the offense and tighten up the squad defensively, two things that leave little room for a 39-year old to help contribute to.
Despite the new talent, this is still a very inexperienced team that lacks veteran leadership and experience. The Pirates’ mission this year is playoffs or bust at a minimum. This team needs to make the postseason and try to capitalize on the young core that they have whilst still being under team control. Although it’s been a decade since the Pirates have been to the postseason McCutchen does know what it takes to get a team to the playoffs. At the very least, his veteran presence would be a positive impact on the team.
McCutchen said in a post-game interview in September that he still desires to play in 2026.
“I obviously do want to continue to keep playing, so wherever that may be,” McCutchen said. “Looking forward to, you know, seeing where the offseason takes me and where we go from there.”
‘Cutch was asked if he still wanted to finish out his career with the Pirates and said “that’s the goal” is to finish in Pittsburgh with a winning ball club and to “cross that bridge when we get there”. Unfortunately it feels like the former MVP is stuck on a bridge in rush hour traffic with no sign of getting anywhere any time soon.
MLB.com Pirates reporter Alex Stumpf stated in early December that he is not expecting McCutchen to return to Pittsburgh in 2026, with the former responding to this claim on X with “Wow, that’s news to me”.
If McCutchen were to come back to Pittsburgh, his role would be dramatically different. It is very likely that he would be reduced to a platoon spot in the outfield, playing once every three days or so to give the starters a day off and to provide depth at the position. At 39-years-old he cannot be an everyday starter in the outfield and with the acquisitions of O’Hearn and Magnum he likely won’t have a spot as an every day designated hitter either, a role he’s played out in his second stint with the Pirates.
Yahoo Sports’ Tommy Wild wrote a piece on why the team should consider bringing back McCutchen and pointed out that they need a depth piece to begin with, posing the question of why not McCutchen?
“The Pirates will likely need to add at least one more outfielder for depth anyway, so why not have that spot on the roster go to McCutchen?,” writes Wild.
McCutchen has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Pirates lineup over the past three seasons, although that may say more about the quality of the team and less about his ability. Just a season ago he had 20 homers and he still played in 135 games in 2025.
Is ‘Cutch over the hill? Yes, without a doubt, but he’s also still valuable enough to be on a Major League roster, whether it’s in Pittsburgh or another young team looking for a veteran bat. The Pirates’ organization is going for broke this season and having McCutchen with the club would at the very least make for a nice retirement tour and give the aging star one last chance to go on a World Series run.
