Pirates' Andrew McCutchen drama just took a wild turn after new insider report

There are messy breakups. There are awkward breakups. And then there’s whatever is happening right now between Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Because the newest twist — that the Pirates internally admit they screwed this up — just blew this whole thing wide open.

That’s the part fans can’t un-hear. Not that talks stalled. Not that the market shifted. Not that “baseball decisions” were made. No — they know they screwed up. And somehow, they still let it get here.

This isn’t about whether McCutchen is 2013 MVP Cutch or a 39-year-old DH. This is about communication, respect, and a franchise once again tripping over itself when the moment required even basic emotional intelligence.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), who spoke with people inside the organization, the Pirates understood they mishandled this. They debated being honest with McCutchen earlier — last season, last offseason — and decided not to, out of fear he wouldn’t take it well.

So instead of a hard conversation, they chose silence. Instead of clarity, they chose avoidance. And now they’re shocked that a proud franchise icon is posting “Rip the jersey off me. You don’t get to write my future” on social media? This isn’t surprising behavior. This is predictable behavior when you treat a living legend like a line item you’ll circle back to later.

Fans have lived through ugly Pirates endings before. But this one hits differently because McCutchen isn’t just a Pirate — he’s the Pirate of the last generation.

McCutchen carried the franchise out of irrelevance. He made PNC Park matter again. He chose to come back. Three times. At a discount. And now, after all that, the organization’s message — intentional or not — is: “You’re optional.” That stings not just for him, but for a fanbase that has watched this team fail to land free agents, misread the room, and burn goodwill at an almost artistic level.

If the Pirates had gone out and signed a clearly superior bat — fine. That’s baseball. But they didn’t. They struck out on Eugenio Suárez. They’re still hunting offense with less than two weeks to go until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. And their lineup, even after additions, is hardly bulletproof.

So now the question becomes brutally simple: If you’re going to alienate McCutchen,
who exactly are you replacing him with? Because “nobody” isn’t a great look.

Pirates have grossly mishandled the Andrew McCutchen situation, and they know it

Now, we’re in the worst possible version of this story. Bob Nutting may have to step in. Ben Cherington may potentially be boxed into a PR move. Don Kelly may be forced to start his first spring training as Pirates manager under a cloud. And a franchise legend knows — now, for sure — that the team mishandled him.

Even if McCutchen comes back, the scar tissue is real. This was supposed to be clean, celebratory and intentional. Instead, it’s awkward, public and painfully on-brand.

The Pirates are telling us this era is different, that they’re serious about competing, and that they’re building around Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin. If that’s true, then act like a serious organization.

Serious organizations don’t let franchise icons twist in the wind. They don’t hide from tough conversations. And they don’t admit internally that they screwed up... without fixing it.

If this ends with McCutchen back on a one-year deal and a proper farewell? Good. It’s deserved.

If it ends with him walking away feeling unwanted? That’s not just another losing season — that’s a cultural failure.

Because the wildest part of this whole saga isn’t McCutchen’s defiance. It’s that, once again, the Pirates knew better — and still found a way to make it worse.