Despite the winter storm expected to drop, PiratesFest is still expected to take place this weekend in Pittsburgh, kicking off the unofficial count down to spring training.

One name that won’t be there, though, is Andrew McCutchen. The legendary Pirate and 2013 NL MVP is still a free agent, having not signed anywhere since his one-year deal with the club expired at the end of the 2025 season.

In an offseason that has seen some heightened sense of urgency from general manager Ben Cherington and owner Bob Nutting, the Pirates had an unusually productive early winter. The team traded for a big-time power bat from Tampa Bay, signed a free agent to a multi-year deal for the first time since 2016, and have dealt from their positions of strength to try and bolster the roster.

Although it still feels like the Pirates are one big-name signing or trade away from truly being seen as a threat, this is still a very new-look team heading into spring training next month. But, the longer the offseason goes on, the more antsy some fans get about McCutchen, and whether the team will bring him back for one more year.

There’s some concern about whether or not he still has a role on this roster, given the additions and changes they made. But if the Pirates, and manager Don Kelly, are willing to break away from their traditional handling of him over the last few years, he absolutely still has a role in Pittsburgh.

McCutchen signed with the Pirates at a pretty convenient time for the orgainzation. The designated hitter was just introduced to the National League, allowing a veteran like McCutchen to come back and focus on just swinging the bat. Having an established batter take up that spot full-time was also helpful considering how weakly constructed the 2023 lineup was at the plate.

Using McCutchen as the DH is the approach the Pirates have used since he suited up for them again. Generally, it was the best situation for both player and team. But, if they can bring the 39-year-old back for one more year, the Pirates will need to get more comfortable with playing McCutchen in the outfield.

Offense was this team’s worst department this past year, and general manager Ben Cherington made several moves to try and address the issue. His biggest acquisition, Brandon Lowe, brings 31 home runs with him to a team that finished dead last in that a season ago. However, he also brings with him some shaky defense, and there are certainly going to come times where Kelly would rather have Lowe contribute exclusively at the plate.

Bryan Reynolds also fits that description. One of the longest tenured Pirates now, Reynolds is looking for a bounce-back season with the bat, and based on his résumé, it’s fair to expect that from him. What is far less reliable is his defense, which has struggled for years. It’s something you deal with when he is producing runs, but it will mean he also needs to play DH at times as well.

This is partly what happens when you have a lineup that is a little more offensive-driven, which is what Pirates fans have begged for over the last few years.

Simply put, the Pirates can’t afford to have a position player exclusively locked in to playing DH. Re-signing McCutchen can work, but he’s going to need to wear a glove more than he has been.

His last full season as an outfielder was 2021, when he was on the other side of the state in Philadelphia. In 135 games and over 1,000 innings wearing a glove, McCutchen struggled. FieldingBible gave him a -9 in defensive runs saved, and Baseball Savant saddled him with a -7 outs above average and -6 in runs saved.

That’s certainly not encouraging for the argument that he needs to play the field more.

But, in smaller workloads over the last few years, he seems to fare better in the grass. In 2022, when McCutchen was in Milwaukee, he played 134 games, but only 50 in the outfield. That season, FieldingBible credited him with +4 DRS, and Baseball Savant had him at even zero in both RS and OOA.

That trend has followed him during his return to PNC Park and the Pirates. Since re-signing in Pittsburgh, McCutchen has rarely played the outfield, totaling just 20 games over the last three years.

But, in those limited innings combined, McCutchen is a combined +3 in DRS from FieldingBible. He also has a +2 in both RS and OOA in 2023 and 2025 combined from Baseball Savant (his two starts in 2024 did not qualify him for stat keeping with Baseball Savant).

McCutchen, for his part, still certainly believes he can play in the outfield whenever he needs to, and insists that the Pirates have not asked that regularly of him.

“The only reason I played a few games last year is because Reynolds needed rest from a minor injury and I ASKED to play defense to get in the lineup,” McCutchen said in a tweet on Twitter/X on Monday. “No one said anything then? Bottom line is if it is needed, I can not only do it, but do it like Ive been out there all year.”

But the most important thing is variety. The word of any player is important. The word of any veteran player is even more important. The word of any player like McCutchen, and what he means to this city and this team, is something even greater than that.

He doesn’t have to return to the Gold Glove form he was more than a decade ago. As long he provides adequate defense from the position, it can work.

McCutchen still has an MLB-level bat. Since re-joining the Pirates, McCutchen has slashed .242/.345/.391 (.736 OPS) and averages 15 home runs, 50 RBI, and five stolen bases a year.

Last season, he slashed .239/.333/.367 (.700 OPS) with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. He tied for third on the team in OPS and homers, and led all batters with 67 walks drawn. He still sports a really good eye at the plate and had a lot of success getting on base.

The big problem was how much of the offense relied on McCutchen. Having him rank that high up in offensive statistics in his age-38 season was not ideal. But now, the Pirates at least have a few other options to lead the charge in batting. This allows McCutchen to still contribute with some of the weight now off his shoulders.

Say he plays around 100 games this season. If he roughly splits those games between a DH and a fielder, I think that works. On days where Lowe is playing DH, McCutchen can play the outfield or maybe sit that game out. On days where McCutchen is occupying the DH spot, you’ll have to play Reynolds in the outfield and Lowe probably at second base.

You just have to be willing to move him around a little. So, if he says he is willing and able to go out there and play the outfield a little more, trust him. At least give him the chance to do it. He’s earned the option to return for another year.