(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen watches his RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 22, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Tuesday the team “will never shut the door” on potentially finding a role for Andrew McCutchen, a longtime cornerstone of the franchise.

The Pirates on Monday reached an agreement with veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna on a one-year contract worth $12 million, subject to Ozuna passing a physical. The deal would make it more unlikely McCutchen, who is unsigned, would be needed on the Pirates’ roster. Ozuna would assume the designated hitter role, which was McCutchen’s primary spot in 2025.

The 39-year-old McCutchen is a five-time All-Star and the 2013 NL MVP. He has played 12 of his 17 seasons in the majors with the Pirates.

Cherington said he believes McCutchen “will always be a Pirate.”

“I think most people feel that way. I certainly speak for the organization and that’s how we feel,” Cherington said.

Even though it appears more unlikely there will be a spot for McCutchen on the roster following the agreement with Ozuna, Cherington said “forever is a long time” and he would not rule out an agreement with McCutchen, who hit .239 with 13 homers last season.

“I think this is a moment in time,” Cherington said. “And I think there’s a long time ahead of us. … I don’t think you ever — the Pirates will never shut the door, completely shut the door, on Andrew McCutchen. That’s just how we feel about him. That’s not going to happen.”

Even so, Cherington said the start of spring training in Florida means the Pirates are “focused on the players that are here, focused on how do we get ready for the 2026 season? … You know longer term, you know we don’t need to make any declaration about the longer term. Just focus on today right now.”

Pirates manager Don Kelly said McCutchen “is always going to be a Pirate in everyone’s heart” and said, as a former teammate, “you respect him and everything that he means to the team and the city.”

Cherington said he hopes to protect the team’s relationship with McCutchen.

“No matter what, Andrew’s a Pirate and certainly our desire will be to continue to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that looks like.”

Cherington said his priority has been to make personnel decisions that put the team “in the best position to win more games in 2026.”

“I feel confident that every decision we’ve made has been about what we believe is best for the team,” he said. “Sometimes when you are making those decisions, they’re going to be hard. You know, some of those decisions are hard. And I think that, again, that’s the nature of these things. Tremendous respect for Andrew. And certainly our desire would be to have a strong relationship with him going forward.”

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Acrisure Stadium)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to a release from Acrisure Stadium, Monster Jam®, the hit monster truck stunt spectacular, will return to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on June 20th, 2026 at 5 p.m. The general public can buy tickets starting on Tuesday, February 17th on Ticketmaster.com. 12,000-pound trucks that are handled by the world’s best drivers will compete for the Event Championship in the Freestyle, Racing, and Skills Events. The Pit Party, which has both family-friendly activities like taking pictures with the trucks and Monster Jam ® drivers signing autographs will also be prior to the event on Saturday, June 20th from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pitt Head Coach Tory Verdi speaks during a ACC women’s NCAA college basketball media day, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, ,File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Six former players on the women’s basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh have sued coach Tory Verdi and the school over what they call abusive coaching methods and say their efforts to seek help were ignored. Verdi, according to the lawsuit filed Friday, also tried to force players into the transfer portal, putting their scholarships at risk and threatening their academic and athletic futures. Pitt denied the allegations in a brief statement issued yesterday on behalf of both Verdi and the school. The statement said: “The university is aware of these lawsuits and their allegations, which are without merit and will be vigorously defended.” The former players that sued both Verdi and Pitt include Favor Ayodele of Spain, who is now at Grand Canyon University, Raeven Boswell, who left the team but stayed at Pitt to finish her degree, Isabella Perkins, who is now a student at Boston College, Jasmine Timmerson, who is now playing for Davidson College, and MaKayla Elmore and Brooklynn Miles, who had transferred to Pitt for their senior years of college.  The women seek an acknowledgment that the school violated their civil rights under Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in education, along with the restoration of their school records and reputations, and compensatory and punitive damages. Verdi has struggled over three seasons at Pitt after notching a winning record in seven seasons at the University of Massachusetts.