Andrew McCutchen praising owner Bob Nutting undoubtedly angers Pirates fans

If there are two things practically every Pittsburgh Pirates fan can agree on, it's their love of franchise icon Andrew McCutchen and their disapproval of team owner Bob Nutting. It presents somewhat of a moral dilemma, then, when the former shares public praise and appreciation for the latter.

Unfortunately for Pirates fans, that's precisely what happened this week when McCutchen sat down for a Q&A with Jim Lachimia of MLB.com to discuss his baseball career, re-signing with the Pirates for 2025 and his goals for this season and beyond.

While Nutting has frequently been the object of ridicule among Pirates fans for his failure to spend on team payroll, McCutchen had nothing but positive things to say about Nutting's treatment of the players and their families, and his impact on and off the baseball field.

"Bob has always been there for me," McCutchen said in a Q&A with MLB.com's Jim Lachimia. "He was always like, “My phone line is always open no matter what you need.” And we would talk. Not necessarily much to do with the game of baseball, but it helped me to talk to him on more of a personal level. He’s been amazing to me and amazing to my family. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to take care of them the way I’ve been able to take care of them. I’ll forever be appreciative for what he’s done, and I’m going to do everything I can to help this club."

Andrew McCutchen praising owner Bob Nutting undoubtedly angers Pirates fans

While McCutchen is singing Nutting's praises, a group of frustrated and passionate Pirates fans have been busy organizing a grassroots campaign urging Nutting to sell the team they love. They are understandably tired of the years of losing baseball in Pittsburgh, and they want accountability to be held at the top.

Indeed, the optics of the situation indicate that Nutting is content with mediocrity and doesn't prioritize winning – an interesting approach to owning a professional sports team, to say the least. Pirates fans have vilified him and are now actively trying to run him out of town. At a certain point, they believe, enough is enough.

At the end of the day, two things can be true: Nutting can be a good person, and he can be a bad team owner. McCutchen was effusive in his praise of Nutting, but his view of Nutting is entirely different than that of a fan because he has a different kind of relationship with him. The fans just want to watch winning baseball; and, as they see it, Nutting is the primary obstacle standing in their way.

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