Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been going through a rough patch since the offseason started. It reached a tipping point at the Pittsburgh fanfest this Saturday, and now, McCutchen’s status with the team has almost been confirmed.

Reportedly, Andrew McCutchen will be leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason, as revealed in GM Ben Cherington’s statements at the fest.

“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. That’s going to continue to guide our decisions,” Cherington noted.

The Pittsburgh Pirates might prefer newcomers Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe over Andrew McCutchen to build a better offensive team.

Despite being a veteran, McCutchen displayed offensive inconsistencies. Compared to this, Ryan O’Hearn had a good offensive season in 2025. An instance of his dominance is when he hit his 16th home run to center field against the San Diego Padres last August. He went on to record 17 home runs in 144 games last season.

Even Brandon Lowe isn’t far behind.

His skills as a hitter are evident in his scoring a three-run homer off Yennier Cano against the Baltimore Orioles last June.

Moreover, both O’Hearn and Lowe can balance the Pirates’ right-handed lineup with their left-handed hitting skills.

Meanwhile, with Jake Magnum and prospect Jhostynxon Garcia available, the Pirates may not require Andrew McCutchen for defensive roles.

Magnum’s leap into the right field to catch a fly ball from Matt Olson last April clearly highlights his skills as an outfielder. As for Jhostynxon Garcia, his throwing out Kyle Manzardo and ending the Rays’ rally in the 8th inning last March displayed his arm strength. Such young defenders might prove to be more useful than Andrew McCutchen, who had not played defense for the team since 2023.

Plus, McCutchen’s age may also become a negative factor.

While McCutchen can still be a formidable hitter, he is inching closer to his 40’s (39 years old). The younger players like O’Hearn (32 years old), Lowe (31 years old), Magnum (29 years old), and Garcia (23 years old) can make the team better.

Andrew McCutchen’s ranting against the Pirates might have also caused the team not to offer a new contract. He posted a tweet on X after he was absent from the Pittsburgh fanfest.

“I wonder, did the Cards do this [to Adam] Wainwright/[Albert] Pujols/Yadi [Molina]? Dodgers to [Clayton] Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy [Miguel Cabrera]? The list goes on and on,” McCutchen stated.

McCutchen wanted to know why the Pirates are not letting him retire as a member of the team, as all the other teams do to their veteran players. Notably, McCutchen had been with the Pirates for 12-years out of his 17-year MLB career so far.

Still, Andrew McCutchen can be a dominant offense for the Pirates.

His hard-hitting skills helped him achieve his 241st career home run against the Miami Marlins last June. With that, he moved into the third-place on the team’s all-time list above Roberto Clemente. He went on to score 13 home runs in 135 games throughout the season.

While the Pirates’ final decision about McCutchen is yet to come, they might look at another player to improve their offense – Nick Castellanos.

The Pirates might decide to get Nick Castellanos from the Phillies

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Pittsburgh Pirates have shown interest in Nick Castellanos.

Nick Castellanos’ bat will fit in with the offensive requirements for the Pirates, especially after their low home run production (117) last season.

Nick Castellanos’ slugging skills might start producing home runs at PNC Park. Despite not having a very good season in 2025, his skills as a slugger were evident when he hit a 445-foot three-run-home run with an exit velocity of 110.2 mph against the Washington Nationals in June.

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Pittsburgh may also use Castellanos as the right fielder. They might move Bryan Reynolds to left field.

Now, the only thing left to see is whether the Pirates add both McCutchen and Castellanos or finally let go of the veteran.