Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pirates star addresses future with team, has no interest in leaving

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 6/27/23

Things have not been going well for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the past two months. They have squandered a 20-8 start to rapidly fall out of the playoff race in the National League, injuries have sidelined some top players and then this week, a report surfaced that the Texas Rangers were interested in trading for outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

McCutchen, a former MVP with the Pirates earlier in his career that helped rejuvenate the team's image within the city, returned on a one-year deal after being elsewhere for the past five seasons.

And he has no interest in leaving again, as he emphasized following the Pirates' 9-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Asked about his reaction to the tweet about the Rangers reported trade interest, Andrew McCutchen started w a little humor. His thoughts on his desire to stay w the #Pirates ⁦@937theFan⁩ pic.twitter.com/vyQJMrD7NH
— Jeff Hathhorn (@jhathhorn) June 28, 2023

McCutchen joked about a "hug watch" in the dugout and then stressed that he returned to Pittsburgh for a reason and it is where he wants to be.

He also added that the decision is out of his hands.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey reported that McCutchen is a Pirate as long as he wants to be and that the front office knew when they re-signed him that an in-season trade probably would not be an option.

As tough as things have been for the Pirates lately, McCutchen has remained one of their most productive hitters.

After going 3-for-5 on Tuesday, he is hitting .278 with a .397 on-base percentage and a .832 OPS. He would be a great addition to any contending team, but unless he has a dramatic change of plans, a trade does not seem to be imminent.

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