The 38-year-old’s career is winding down.
There is no doubt that Andrew McCutchen is an all-time great Pirate and fan favorite. The former NL MVP led a short period of resurgence of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball that cemented his legacy in Pittsburgh, and he has had some great moments in his return the last two seasons. It seems like a sure thing that McCutchen will play for at least one more season and finish his career in a Pittsburgh uniform; he’s earned it.
McCutchen has proven that he can still be a valuable contributor to a team with playoff aspirations. However, he isn’t getting any younger, and one has to wonder if a sharp decline may be on the horizon for an injury-riddled 38-year-old who no longer plays the field. If the Pirates are serious about acquiring valuable assets to the lineup this offseason, they should reevaluate McCutchen’s role on the team before both parties agree to another one-year deal.
Although it may be a tough pill to swallow, the truth is that if the Pirates want to have a legit lineup 1-9, McCutchen can’t be in spots 1-4 every game. And with how his body has taken a toll, it’s hard to trust him to be an everyday DH in any spot of the lineup for more than the 120 games he played last year. You can certainly argue that he should be the primary leadoff hitter with his great eye and plate discipline, but his walk percentage dropped four percentage points last season, and his strikeout rate was a career-high 25.8 percent.
Ideally, the Pirates would be wise to keep their options open for an outfielder or first baseman who could also be a solid DH option to platoon with McCutchen. On a playoff-caliber team, he should be a 6-7-8 hitter in the lineup and often a great piece to bring off the bench in critical situations.
The organization shouldn’t be worried about offending its star. After all, this is a business, and they should be in the business of winning. That won’t be the case if, by the end of the 2025 season, McCutchen is one of the top three hitters on the team.
When he returned to Pittsburgh, McCutchen said this wasn’t a goodbye tour; he wanted to win here. If that is his primary focus, he should have no problem being in a role that will keep him healthy and productive while improving the offense.