Pittsburgh Pirates fans were dealt a massive blow last Thursday morning as news had broke out of Dallas that long time Bucco, Andrew McCutchen, is signing a Minor League contract with the Texas Rangers. McCutchen has been listed as a non-roster invitee to the Ranger’s Spring camp and will have an opportunity to compete for a spot on the big league roster.
For the past three years, McCutchen has signed one-year contracts with the Pirates in the offseason, but of course this year he was noticeably missing from their list of signings, Spring Training and the annual Pirates Fest. While Pirates’ management and ownership has been mostly mute on the topic, ‘Cutch has been very vocal on his social media pages, citing that other franchise stars in the past have gotten better treatment in regards to a farewell tour in their final seasons.
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In a now deleted post on X, the former National League MVP voiced his frustrations with the lack of communication he was having with the Pirates’ organization.
“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 little kids hand or hug the fan that’s been a fan since Clemente. You see, this is bigger than baseball! Bigger than looking at a 40 man roster and cherry picking numbers that fit your agenda or prove why your opinion matters. The fans deserved at the very least to get that opportunity. Idk what the future holds for me at the present moment, but what I do know is though I am 39, on the backend of my career, I still work everyday to be better than I was the year before. If there wasnt a burning desire to continue this journey, I would be home surrounded by my family, in which no one would judge or be surprised. But not yet. There’s more work to do and Im not done, no matter what label to you try to stamp on me. Rip the jersey off of me. You dont get to write my future,God does.”
Despite the lack of communication that General Manager Ben Cherington had with McCutchen this offseason, the writing was on the wall when the Pirates signed Marcell Ozuna to be their designated hitter for 2026. When Ozuna was signed in early February, McCutchen removed all mentions of the Pirates from his social media pages. Cherington commented on ‘Cutch during the offseason at the time of the Ozuna signing.
“As far as I’m concerned, Andrew will always be a Pirate,” Cherington said. “I think most people feel that way. I certainly speak for the organization and that’s how we feel, that no matter what Andrew is a Pirate, and certainly our desire will be to continue to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that looks like.”
Perhaps the hardest part about this news is that the Pirates actually seem to be trying to win. The signing of Ryan O’Hearn this offseason signaled that Pittsburgh was more willing to open up their wallets. The trade acquisition of Brandon Lowe showed that the Pirates was trying to be more aggressive on the trade market and were looking to build a quality lineup. The club is projected to have one of the best pitching rotations in baseball with veteran Mitch Keller and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes leading the group that will give opposing batters plenty of headaches. On paper this could be the best Pirates team since the last time the club made the postseason in 2015.
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While McCutchen never stated that he wouldn’t entertain the idea of playing for another team, he made it very clear to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in September that he wanted to deliver on winning with Pittsburgh.
“Ultimately, I do feel like this is a good team,” McCutchen said. “I’d just love to be a part of that winning. Hopefully get that opportunity to have that again. And I do feel like it’s possible. If it wasn’t possible, I don’t think I’d be doing it. Maybe I doubt the Pirates would even bring me back. I think it’s there.”
The Texas Rangers are currently in Spring camp in Arizona and will give McCutchen an opportunity to earn a spot on their regular season roster. The Rangers are in the midst of finding out who will be on their bench come opening day, and are trying to decide who will make their platoon of outfielders. While ‘Cutch is certainly past his prime he is still a capable athlete who could play in the field once or twice a week. What is more likely is that McCutchen will continue to play as a designated hitter opposite of Joc Pederson.
In terms of pure production, McCutchen is head and shoulders above Pederson, even at 39-years-old. In 2025 Pederson had a .181 batting average, a .285 OBP with just nine home runs. Meanwhile McCutchen had a .239 batting average and showed excellent discipline at the plate, garnering a .333 OBP and 13 homers. The Rangers struggled offensively in 2025 and having McCutchen around to mentor young batters and add some stability to the lineup could be very beneficial to the club if he makes the team.
This is an unfortunate and seemingly bitter end to McCutchen’s time with the Pirates. He is far in a way the best player Pittsburgh has had since Barry Bonds and is also one of the best human beings the sport has ever seen. He has made Pittsburgh his home for himself and his family and truly integrated himself into the community, even after the club traded him to San Francisco. His return in 2023 felt like it was the opportunity for him to end his career where it started, but unsurprising to none the Pirates went and messed that up. Arguably one of the most disappointing franchises in professional sports, the Pirates disrespected a legend like McCutchen by giving him the cold shoulder and pushing him away not once, but twice in his career.
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Andrew McCutchen will forever be linked to the Pirates and with this messy exit from Pittsburgh he will have a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Washington. If McCutchen makes the Rangers roster he could face the Pirates in a home series from April 21-23.
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