The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the most active teams this offseason as the NL Central franchise aims to end its postseason drought in 2026.
Veteran designated hitter and Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen is one of the free agent sluggers the team is reportedly considering for the 2026 roster. According to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, they are considering the veteran slugger, but remain focused on building a roster capable of winning more games.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.
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“Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons. So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us. We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”
The Pirates have not made the postseason since 2015, the second-longest ongoing playoff drought in MLB history. They have posted a losing record in five consecutive seasons since 2020 and finished the 2025 season with a 71-91 record.
McCutchen, who has five All-Star selections with the Pirates in more than 1700 games for the franchise, slashed .239/.333/.367 with 13 home runs in more than 551 plate appearances last season.
Yankees linked with Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams
The New York Yankees made a big addition to the roster this week by re-signing All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger. However, the Bronc Bombers could target Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams in the coming weeks, per MLB insider Jon Morosi.
“[CJ] Abrams is the name for me that will likely at some point in time move on… If [Anthony] Volpe struggles… maybe the Yankees take a look at someone like an Abrams down towards the trade deadline.”
The Yankees had mixed production from Anthony Volpe last season and it’ll be interesting to see if the AL East franchise moves to shore up the infield this offseason.
