Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made clear the franchise will never shut the door on Andrew McCutchen, despite the team's recent agreement with slugger Marcell Ozuna. The $12 million one-year deal for Ozuna makes it less likely the 39-year-old McCutchen would return to assume the designated hitter role he filled in 2025.

McCutchen, a five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP, spent 12 of his 17 MLB seasons with Pittsburgh. Cherington expressed his belief that McCutchen "will always be a Pirate," while Pirates manager Don Kelly echoed these sentiments, calling McCutchen "always going to be a Pirate in everyone's heart." McCutchen hit .239 with 13 homers last season.

While focused on preparing for the 2026 season with current players, Cherington maintained the door remains open for McCutchen, noting decisions are made to put the team "in the best position to win more games." The GM acknowledged that sometimes personnel decisions are difficult but emphasized the organization's respect for McCutchen's contributions to the franchise.