Andrew McCutchen is not happy with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a lack of acknowledgement before the potential end of his career.
Some Pirates fans were not happy that McCutchen, who is currently a free agent, has not been re-signed by the Pirates and was not in attendance for the team’s offseason fan event on Saturday. That prompted a debate among some fans over whether McCutchen was worth re-signing or whether the Pirates actually owe him anything.
McCutchen subsequently took to X and suggested he felt snubbed by the organization.
“I wonder, did the Cards do this Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy?” McCutchen wrote. “The list goes on and on. If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player. Talk to them about my appreciation for them over the years. Shake that little kids hand or hug the fan that’s been a fan since Clemente. You see, this is bigger than baseball! Bigger than looking at a 40 man roster and cherry picking numbers that fit your agenda or prove why your opinion matters. The fans deserved at the very least to get that opportunity.”
I wonder, did the Cards do this Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw?Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on. If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player. Talk to them about my appreciation for them over the years. Shake that… https://t.co/oB8Nq1bjng
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) January 25, 2026
McCutchen added that he still wants to play, but admitted he is not certain he will receive the opportunity.
The Pirates cannot seem to avoid this sort of bad PR, even when they probably mean no harm. McCutchen does not currently play for the team, so there is logically no reason for him to be honored by the Pirates. Presumably, the organization will honor him when he officially retires, but he has not done that yet.
The Pirates have tried to spend money this offseason and get fans back onside. Ultimately, it will take more than that to undo years of bad reputation, and McCutchen’s frustration will not help matters.
