Brewers' long-time division foe not getting the respect he deserves from the Pirates

Andrew McCutchen will have a serious Hall of Fame case whenever he hangs up his cleats, and it'll all be thanks to the lone year he spent with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.

Or, perhaps it'll be related to his 12-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which time the 39-year-old has won an MVP award, a Gold Glove, four Silver Slugger trophies, five All-Star nods, and a Roberto Clemente Award in 2015. It could go either way, really.

That impressive résumé is a testament to the work he's done on and off the field, and a reason why he's generally considered among the best players in (Pirates) franchise history. He never experienced much postseason success while playing for a moribund organization, but he was the face of the team during their lone competitive window this century (2013-15).

You'd think that kind of legacy would earn Cutch enough leeway to play in Pittsburgh as long as he wants, but apparently the Pirates have other ideas as they eye a return to relevancy.

Pirates showing no loyalty to 2022 Brewers legend Andrew McCutchen

"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 little kids hand or hug the fan that’s been a fan since Clemente. You see, this is bigger than baseball!" McCutchen wrote on Twitter in response to a fan who said that the Pirates would be better off without the veteran outfielder.

Cutch also cited the treatment of other legendary 21st-century players such as Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, and Yadier Molina with the St. Louis Cardinals, when that triumvirate of past-their-prime stars somehow led the Redbirds to a division title in 2022.

McCutchen is absolutely on the same tier of star power as those players, and his importance to Pittsburgh can't be overstated. His 42.6 bWAR with them is leaps and bounds ahead of the next-most-valuable player the Pirates have had since 2000.

Alas, after years of refusing to spend money on a competitive roster, the Buccos have been aggressive this offseason in adding around Paul Skenes. Their rotation figures to be among the best in the league, and their lineup might not be the worst, which would be a big improvement over the past few years.

Their roster picture is crowded, and McCutchen is coming off the worst season of his career in terms of offensive output (95 wRC+). From a pure efficiency standpoint, keeping him around may not be in the Pirates' best interest.

But baseball isn't only about efficiency. The Pirates have one of the worst-treated fanbases in sports. They deserve a chance to properly honor a franchise legend in a swan song season. We'll have to wait and see if the tone-deaf ownership in Pittsburgh makes the right call.