This offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally did what fans have begged them to do for years: spend with intent.
They chased impact bats. They reshaped an offense that posted an 82 wRC+ and just 117 home runs. They stepped into conversations around the league for something other than Paul Skenes’ generational brilliance.
And yet, for all the momentum this winter created, one misstep may linger longer than any free-agent miss: the way the Pirates handled Andrew McCutchen.
On paper, moving on from McCutchen makes sense. At 38 years old, he posted a .239/.333/.367 slash line with a 95 wRC+ in 2025 and played 120 games at designated hitter.