Pirates signing this free agent would be a slap in the face to Andrew McCutchen

The Pittsburgh Pirates are no longer stuck in neutral (or at least they shouldn't be). Eugenio Suárez is off the market, the holding pattern is over, and the front office has to decide how it wants to finish this offseason.

That decision will say a lot about what this organization actually values. Because if the answer is signing free-agent bat Marcell Ozuna, it won’t just be a roster move. It’ll be a message — and not a good one — to Andrew McCutchen, who remains unsigned while waiting to see if the franchise he helped define still has room for him.

Yes, Ozuna can still hit. Even in a “down” 2025, a .756 OPS with 21 homers plays. And his 2023–24 stretch — 79 home runs, 7.8 bWAR — was legitimately elite DH production. But context matters.

Ozuna is 35. His defensive value is essentially zero. He’s a full-time DH coming off a clear decline, and he’s likely seeking something in the $14–16 million range.

Meanwhile, McCutchen isn’t holding out for sentimentality. He’s not asking for a ceremonial farewell tour. He’s been productive, professional, and consistent in his role. He’s accepted one-year deals. He’s accepted being a DH (while making it clear he can still play defense). He’s accepted reduced power and adjusted his game accordingly.

And now, instead of finishing the offseason by bringing back the franchise’s most important player of the last generation, the Pirates would be saying:

“We’d rather pay more for an older, declining, one-dimensional version of the same role.”

That’s not roster optimization. That’s replacement by indifference.

Pirates are disrespecting Andrew McCutchen by letting him twist in free agency

If Ozuna signs, McCutchen is gone. Not because he can’t help — but because the Pirates chose not to value what he brings relative to the alternatives.

An Ozuna signing would also create ripple effects the Pirates don’t need. If he locks down the DH role nearly every day, Ryan O'Hearn gets pushed into more outfield and first base reps and takes those opportunities away from Jake Mangum and Spencer Horwitz, respectively.

Meanwhile, McCutchen already fits. He knows the role. He’s accepted it. He’s handled it without complaint. Replacing that with Ozuna doesn’t solve a problem — it creates a louder one.

McCutchen's leadership still counts for something, too, even if the spreadsheets ignore it. This roster is young. This team is trying to take the next step. And whether ownership wants to admit it or not, credibility matters.

McCutchen carries institutional trust. He bridges eras. He grounds the clubhouse. He represents continuity in a franchise that has spent years resetting the clock. Letting him twist while pivoting to Ozuna tells every player in that room exactly how replaceable loyalty is. And fans will notice, too.

The Pirates do need a bat. They do need to be aggressive. But aggression doesn’t have to mean erasing your own identity.

If this offseason ends with McCutchen unemployed while the Pirates cut a sizable check to Ozuna, it won’t feel like progress. It’ll feel like the organization chose a name over a legacy — and sent a pretty clear message about what, and who, still matters in Pittsburgh.