Pirates' Andrew McCutchen Addresses 'Sell the Team' Chants
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PITTSBURGH — Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen acknowledged the growing frustration of Pirates fans after "sell the team" chants echoed through a sellout crowd at PNC Park during Saturday’s game, as Pittsburgh’s dismal 8-15 start—coupled with the National League’s worst offense—has reignited criticism of owner Bob Nutting’s stewardship of one baseball's most historic franchises.
"I understand where they’re coming from. I’ve been here long enough, so I get it," McCutchen said Sunday in an interview with DK Pittsburgh Sports and The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review before the Pirates’ series finale against Cleveland, in which they would go on to lose 5-4 in extra innings. "I just hate it for the guys who haven’t been a part of it and haven’t been here for very long. They’re like, ‘Man, these people seem pretty upset.’ You have to go out there and try to perform and do well when there’s this cloud over the team."
The 38-year-old, in his 17th MLB season, admitted the environment creates challenges for players. "Obviously, everyone is trying their best. It’s tough when you’ve got ‘sell the team’ chants going on and you’re trying to compete and do well," he said. "It’s just hard, no matter what. You’ve got all that going on around you while you’re trying to focus on doing one thing well, and it’s hard to filter out the negative and focus on yourself at that moment. It’s tough."
Hey @Pirates @SNPittsburgh do you think cutting the crowd mic will silence us? The embarrassment has only just begun. (18 second mark)
— Irate Pirates Fan (@IratePiratesFan) April 20, 2025
SELL! THE! TEAM! Oh, and Happy Easter! pic.twitter.com/yNZ0NVlmOK
"Now you’ve got guys who don’t play every day showing up in the lineup with that cloud over them, it becomes a challenge. The game’s challenging in itself but when you’re dealing with a lot of fans who seem to be fed up with the way things are going it makes it a little more challenging," said McCutchen.
"All we can do is try to do our best as a club to try to block it out and try to win the ballgame, but I can’t control what they do, how they feel. I understand.”
McCutchen pointed to the Pirates’ lineup instability as a possible issue with their struggling offense. The team has used eight different leadoff hitters and ranks last in the NL in batting average (.202), OBP (.286), SLG (.318) and OPS (.604).
"You have to be consistent in every way," he said. "I don’t know what that entails for us, but I know you are going to constantly have lineup changes and that’s what we seem like we do here. We have a lot of lineup changes. It’s not necessarily the same lineup every day."
"I think it’s just the more consistency we can find in the lineup and if it’s possible that we’re able to do it and we get some guys — I know that some guys are injured, get them back — maybe we get that opportunity to be more consistent as a lineup," said McCutchen. "As of right now, we just have to work with what we have and go out there and try to get the job done. That’s all you can do as players and as individuals, is to try and do your job. It’s a lot easier said than done. That’s what we have to do.”
“I think if we can find more consistency in the lineup, then that could help us out. That helps consistency, I think.”
The 2013 NL MVP emphasized his personal drive to avoid a losing swan song and provide fans with lasting memories. He hears the chants, empathizes with them, and most importantly — wants to do something about the frustration.
"When I hear it — as much as I hate to hear it — I also understand,” McCutchen said. “So, I’m going to do my best to perform because I’m not trying to end my career losing. I’ll tell you that right now: I don’t want to end my career and hat’s off, I lost. I’m trying to do what I can. I want to do my best. I know the guys in here, they want to do their best."
"That’s just not how I pictured things going. I’m just going to bear down as much as I can individually, do my job individually and help in any way that I can because that’s you can do. You can sit here and mope and complain and cry about it or you can go out there and do something about it — and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.