Andrew McCutchen doubles down on comments calling out Pirates' front office

Living Pittsburgh Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen made some uncharacteristically pointed comments over the weekend regarding the team's refusal to spend on talent that were clearly meant to be a message to principal owner Bob Nutting.

When Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked McCutchen about his comments on Monday, McCutchen flatly declined to comment further. Mackey then shifted his line of questioning toward how the Pirates can get back to being competitive in 2026, and McCutchen had another clear message – this time, for general manager Ben Cherington.

"You're gonna have to ask the GM on that," McCutchen said. "I have no idea. I'm just here to play baseball. I don't know what we need. I said what I needed to say about it.'"

Andrew McCutchen doubles down on comments calling out Pirates' front office for failure to win

McCutchen, who is currently on his third consecutive one-year, $5 million deal with the Pirates, didn't mince words when it came to his desire to return for what would be his 18th Major League season in 2026.

"Yeah, I want to continue to play," McCutchen said. "I think I'm still capable of doing that. I think I can still play the outfield, too. But that opportunity was taken away from me once we had five outfielders... I'm not necessarily stuck to DH'ing. If I'm needed out there, I can do it."

Wait – the opportunity to play outfield was taken away from him? Perhaps we can add that to McCutchen's list of grievances against the Pirates – and the list of reasons they shouldn't take his presence for granted. After all, while we know McCutchen wants to continue to play in 2026, it's worth noting that he declined to specify whether he wanted to play in Pittsburgh.

"I want to win," McCutchen said. "That's all. I have to do what I need to do, too. I can't just say, 'Hey, I want to win' and not hold my end of the bargain. I have to first do what I need to do and show that I can be a part of winning."

McCutchen's sense of personal accountability is admirable, but it's nearly impossible to argue that he can't contribute to a winning effort. He ranks among the top three on the Pirates' roster in practically every offensive category, including a team-best .326 on-base percentage. He has done more than enough to prove that he can hold up his end of the deal; now, the onus is on the suits upstairs to hold up theirs.

McCutchen has made his voice heard, loud and clear. Hopefully, Nutting and Cherington are listening.

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