The second Andrew McCutchen-era in Pittsburgh appears to be as close to over as you can get without official word.
After the Pirates reportedly signed designated hitter Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal, McCutchen’s profile photo on “X” was changed from him in a Pirates uniform to a silhouette photo of him swinging.
The day before the signing, McCutchen posted a highlight/workout video with the Bible verse from Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
During PiratesFest, Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington talked about how important McCutchen has been to the franchise, but also added “The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to be winning games when you’re in the ballpark in June and July.”
The Pirates and McCutchen are at two different places.
The Pirates are trying to maximize the time they have left with Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Paul Skenes before his next contract likely sends him to another team that can and will pay an astronomical amount of money.
McCutchen is a 39-year-old that still believes he has the ability to play Major League-quality baseball.
Fans are left in the middle.
Andrew McCutchen was the cornerstone of the Pirates resurgence from 2013-15, he’s one of the most important players in franchise history and the most important player to the organization this century.
But, is McCutchen the best player to help move the organization forward? Apparently, the Pirates think Ozuna is a better option.