When you think of the Pittsburgh Pirates recent history, you think of Andrew McCutchen. For many years, the five-time All-Star has been considered the face of the franchise. It is no secret that entering his 18th season in the MLB, McCutchen is at the tail end of his career. Many thought he would end his career with the Pirates but that is looking less likely after he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
While this is a solid signing for the Rangers and brings in a veteran presence who has proven success at a high level, former teammates of McCutchen were taken by surprise that their old friend would no longer be in Pittsburgh — especially starting pitcher Mitch Keller (h/t Rum Bunter).
“I think we all kind of had hope, even until today, until we heard the news, that there might still be a chance that he'd be with us. But no, there was no point that I knew that it was a solidified thing that he wasn't going to be here.”
Believe it or not, the decision to let McCutchen walk in free agency could have a major negative impact on the Pirates organization for years to come, damaging the relationship with their young star Paul Skenes.
How Andrew McCutchen leaving could affect Paul Skenes
If there is one player the Pittsburgh Pirates should have ever been extra loyal to, it is Andrew McCutchen. Over his 12 seasons with the franchise across two stints, he helped the Pirates grow tremendously as a team with his individual success translate to team success.
It is not like McCutchen's asking price was too much for the Pirates to afford. He signed a minor league deal for crying out loud. If they felt like McCutchen had no place on their roster for the 2026 season, imagine what their thought process will be when starting pitcher Paul Skenes becomes a free agent. Skenes being around to witness this disloyalty to McCutchen could make it much easier for him to completely rule out a return to Pittsburgh once his contract expires in the winter of 2029.
Most would say that the thought of Skenes spending his entire career with the Pirates is highly unlikely, however, Pittsburgh had a solid offseason in preparation for 2026 and is proving they fully intend on competing in an even playing field NL Central.
At the end of the day, when it comes time for Skenes to make decisions in his free agency, he would have spent five years in Pittsburgh. We all know money talks but you also can't put a price tag on comfortably. With the Pirates being the only franchise Skenes will have been a part of, under normal circumstances he may be willing to take a little less money to stay with his current squad.
The caveat to this entire situation is that Skenes will likely feel no pressure to be loyal to the Pirates if he continues to witness them be unloyal to other players. If Pittsburgh has no interest in retaining McCutchen after what he has done for the franchise, it feels like no one is safe and could lead to Skenes already eyeing his potential exit.