Heading into his sixth offseason as the Pirates general manager, Ben Cherington faces notable pressure as his organization prepares to build a winning roster for the 2025 campaign. Back-to-back 76-win seasons have left the majority of Pittsburgh baseball fans disgruntled, with some expressing serious doubt toward the current front office’s ability to construct a playoff contending club.
Presumably once again operating with a smaller budget than most of their competition, Cherington and his staff have a slim margin for error. Each dollar spent on talent counts, which creates a series of tough decisions for the Pirates prior to the start of free agency. Many questions must be answered before Pittsburgh can begin constructing its roster for next season. And the first on the list revolves around the most popular player the franchise has employed in over three decades: Andrew McCutchen.
After being traded away to San Francisco prior to the start of the 2018 season, McCutchen reunited with the Pirates in 2023 on a 1-year, $5 million deal. He then signed for the exact same terms last offseason.
While he is now far from the player he was a decade ago, it would be fair to label McCutchen as one of the best free agent acquisitions Cherington has signed during his time in Pittsburgh. In both years, the veteran slugger has provided above-league-average offense while also serving as a leader for a team filled with young, inexperienced players.
“Extremely impactful,” manager Derek Shelton said of McCutchen in September. “ ... When he’s been healthy, and obviously we have to monitor that because he is 37, he’s had really good swings.”
On a club that ended the season ranked in the bottom five of MLB in home runs (160), slugging (.371) and OPS (.672), McCutchen was one of the few regulars who held his own at the plate. In Year 16 of his big-league career, he led the Pirates with 58 walks, finished second in on-base percentage (.328) and third in hits (104), home runs (20), slugging (.411), total bases (184) and OPS+ (105).
McCutchen has expressed no interest in 2024 being his final year. He wants to keep playing, and more notably, hopes to continue doing so in a Pirates uniform.
"I've already said it. It's already been printed out there,” McCutchen told reporters on Sept. 10. “Like I said, I wanted to go home. So hopefully I can just continue to finish strong in the season and be able to showcase that I can be capable and able to do it next year."
“We would love to find a way for Andrew to finish his career in a Pirates uniform,” Cherington said later that week.
This offseason conversation, however, won’t likely be as simple as the ones prior. As Shelton alluded to, McCutchen isn’t getting any younger. Earlier this month, he turned 38 years old.
Charlie Blackmon’s retirement from baseball makes McCutchen the fifth-oldest active position player in the game, assuming those ahead of him also don’t call it quits this offseason. And while the team’s designated hitter was far from the biggest issue in 2024, it could be argued that the Pirates would be better off allocating the finances and the roster spot to a younger or more productive player.
The decision to either return or cut ties with McCutchen will play a sizable role in how the rest of Pittsburgh’s roster will be constructed. Below is an in-depth look at the reasons behind both sides of the franchise’s tough choice ahead:
If McCutchen returns ...
As stated above, there are plenty of reasons to continue the trend of signing McCutchen on a 1-year deal. Per Baseball Reference, the 38-year-old has made north of $133 million throughout his playing career. He is not looking for a big payday and could perhaps even be swayed into taking less than the $5 million he signed for in each of the past two seasons, if it came with the promise of allocating that leftover cash toward improving the roster in other areas.
In addition to being affordable, McCutchen showed he can still be an offensive asset in 2024. His placement into the team’s leadoff role in the first half of the season provided a much-needed spark to a slumping offense. His move to the cleanup spot in the final months of the season showed he still has the ability to generate runs as a power hitter.
On a team filled with projects, especially when it comes to hitting, McCutchen will require little attention from a new hitting coach. He has been here before. He knows his routine, knows his body and is there to help younger teammates if they ever have questions.
The key to McCutchen’s return revolves primarily around health. If the team can manage his workload in a way that keeps him both productive and injury-free, then another year in Pittsburgh makes sense. The Pirates are not in a position to turn their back on 20-plus home runs, especially from someone who is beloved by fans and comes at a hometown discount.
If this is the end ...
Cherington will certainly not gain any immediate popularity if the Pirates let McCutchen walk. After a poor showing in free agency last offseason followed by an unsuccessful series of moves at the trade deadline — and then capped off by the bad PR that came from Rowdy Tellez’s late-season departure — choosing to not re-sign McCutchen will only further upset an already aggravated fanbase.
But Cherington’s job isn’t to make fans happy, it’s to build a winning baseball team. And if he feels as though the club will be better in 2025 with someone else occupying the team’s starting designated hitter role, then this should be the end.
While McCutchen was a solid bat for the Pirates, his production as a DH does not compare well to those who play his position every day. Ten players in MLB logged more than 400 plate appearances as a designated hitter in 2024. McCutchen’s 105 OPS+ ranked last among that group. With that logic, along with his age and health added into the equation, perhaps a change could be warranted.
Known for his reliance on internal solutions, an opening DH spot provides a handful of intriguing possibilities for players already on the Pirates’ roster. One option could be to simply transition Bryan Reynolds into a full-time hitter, the thing he does best. The Pirates could also leave the spot open with the hope that it could be filled by either Henry Davis or Jack Suwinski, two young power hitters who provide little defensive value. That move, of course, would come with the assumption that a new hitting coach can get either player, or both, to realize their potential, which is a big gamble.
Having internal options to either rotate or claim a full-time spot at designated hitter will also allow Cherington to use the $5 million on a new, everyday player at a position of need. While that total might not mean much to most teams, as mentioned above, every penny counts for the Pirates. The club could also upgrade the DH spot through trade or free agency, although the latter would likely require a more sizable investment.
Regardless of who fills McCutchen’s shoes, if the Pirates choose to move on, the move has to pay off. Adding power production to the lineup is an absolute must this offseason. Cutting ties with a franchise legend would be a gutsy choice but would eventually be accepted if it helps bring the team back to the postseason. On the flip side, letting him go only to have his replacement struggle would bring the fanbase’s anger to an entirely new level. It also wouldn’t likely go over well within the clubhouse or — more importantly to Cherington — with ownership.
First Published: October 31, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: November 1, 2024, 2:01 a.m.
