Andrew McCutchen blasts Pirates for disrespectful free agent decision

The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't signed Andrew McCutchen back in free agency.

Recent comments suggest Pittsburgh is being analytical about the choice regarding their franchise legend, rather than sentimental.

McCutchen is ticked off about it all, and it's becoming a sad situation for Pittsburgh sports fans.

This is part of what Pirates GM Ben Cherington said this weekend, via Alex Stumpf:

"Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He's had an incredible run, in two different times with the Pirates. Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure, and our desire -- everybody at the Pirates would desire -- to have him maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future. And then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to be winning games when you're in the ballpark in June and July, and that's where I see that passion come out. That's ultimately what our job is and what we aim to do."

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McCutchen eventually weighed in with a long post on X:

I wonder, did the Cards do this Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw?Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on. If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player. Talk to them about my appreciation for them over the years. Shake that… https://t.co/oB8Nq1bjng

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It does seem like McCutchen deserves some franchise legend treatment rather than getting viewed as just any other free agent.

This guy was an MVP with the Pirates, made five All-Star Games while in Pittsburgh and played more than 1,700 games for the franchise.

It'd be nice if the Pirates could show him a little more love in the twilight of his career.

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