Andrew McCutchen's Pirates Tenure Ends On a Sour Note

McCutchen's success also coincided with the team ending their historic 20 straight losing seasons and making the playoffs three straight years from 2013-15, earning an NL Wild Card spot each time.

The Pirates never achieved their highest goal in those postseason years, but McCutchen returning after five years following the franchise traded him gave fans hope they would return to that type of play.

McCutchen wasn't able to bring that winning baseball back to the 'Steel City' in this second stint, but there were chances for the Pirates to achieve that goal. This included starting 20-8 overall in 2023 and being 34-30 in June, before two long losing streaks saw the Pirates finish 76-86, then being 55-53 at the 2024 trade deadline and ending up 76-86 again following an 8-19 August.

Pittsburgh never had a shot in 2025, starting 12-26 overall, which resulted in the dismissal of Derek Shelton, then eventually a 71-91 finish, last in the division and the fifth worst in baseball.

How the Pirates Didn't Support McCutchen Enough

The Pirates signing McCutchen didn't come long with necessary additions the team needed during his three seasons to make the playoffs.

Pittsburgh didn't make any real marquee free agent signing nor big trade that would've made their team go from solid, at best, to a good enough team for postseason contention.

The Pirates signed the likes of then 43-year old left-handed pitcher Rich Hill for $8 million and catcher Austin Hedges for $5 million in 2023, left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman for $10.5 million, left-handed starting pitcher Martín Pérez for $8.5 million and both center fielder Michael A. Taylor for $4 million and first baseman Rowdy Tellez for $3.2 million in 2024.

Pittsburgh made even less inspiring signings in 2025, like outfielder Tommy Pham for $4.025 million and utility man Adam Frazier for $1.525 million, neither of which were good enough to get the team to postseason contention.

McCutchen, himself, performed well as the designated hitter the past three seasons for the Pirates, particularly on the one-year, $5 million deal he signed each winter.

The Pirates also missed out on landing someone like second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the 2024 trade deadline, as he instead went to the New York Yankees, where he was an All-Star and Sliver Slugger Award winner in 2025.

Pittsburgh landed outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, who slashed .200/.220/.294 for an OPS of .514 in 44 games and they eventually non-tendered him that offseason.

if the Pirates had made a few smarter additions, McCutchen could've helped them reach the playoffs once again, but instead, they continued their losing efforts.

Pirates Make Right Moves Moves at Expense of McCutchen

Pittsburgh finally got things going this offseason with numerous additions that will play a big role in the team this year.

The Pirates landed second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and top outfield prospect Jhostynxon García in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.

Pittsburgh also signed free agents in Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29 million and Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million deal with a $16 mutual option for 2027.

The O'Hearn signing marked the first multi-year free agent signing for the Pirates since 2016 and their first multi-year free agent position player signing since 2015, a decade prior.

All those moves were made to bolster their power, with Lowe, O'Hearn and Ozuna bringing a veteran presence to the lineup and Garcia being a strong power bat for the future.

Ozuna signing on made him the starting designated hitter, which essentially meant that the Pirates were moving on from McCutchen, who had only played 20 games in the outfield the past three seasons.

The Pirates making these moves are understandable, as Ozuna has been one of the better power bats in the NL during his career and a better designated hitter than McCutchen. The Pirates also finished last in home runs in 2025 at just 117 and Ozuna's 21 home runs on a bad hip would've led the team.

McCutchen made it known to the Pirates that he wanted to come back with a few posts on Twitter, but the Ozuna signing was clearly the end of his time with the franchise, a bitter end to a great career.

Remembering McCutchen's Legacy

While this ending isn't the one Pirates fans would've wanted, McCutchen achieved more than most players in the franchise ever have.

McCutchen ranks amongst the best Pirates hitters of all-time, including third in home runs, fourth in walks, fifth in extra bases hits (644), sixth in RBI, seventh in both doubles and total bases and ninth in hits. He also ranked ninth in games played, 10th in WAR (42.9) and sixth in offensive WAR (50.3).

The Pirates fans gave McCutchen a standing ovation when he came off the field in the home finale in the 11-1 win over the Athletics at PNC Park on Sept. 21.

With just a reported attendance of 16,107 fans for that game, the Pirates faithful rose from their seats and gave McCutchen a standing ovation for the last time he'll likely ever play at the ball park he dominated in for so many years.

The walk-off home runs, the sliding grabs, the stolen bases and incredible runs to home plate, the big smile with his shining white teeth made McCutchen a hero for Pittsburgh fans during his time in the city.

McCutchen didn't achieve everything he could in his career with the Pirates, but he did give a downtrodden fan base hope and served as almost a savior for the franchise during it's most difficult times.

The Pirates won't have McCutchen on their team this season, but they can still honor him by ending their postseason drought and giving the fans another chance at 'Buctober'.