BRADENTON, Fla. – Derek Shelton’s message to his team ahead of the first full squad workout at Pirate City on Monday remained consistent with what he told the pitchers and catchers last week: the priority is on winning.
Andrew McCutchen, the 38-year-old Pirates icon, is once again leading the charge. This marks his third year in his second stint with the team, following two seasons that ended with identical 76-86 records. In 2023, they exceeded expectations, while in 2024, they may have fallen short.
The 2025 focus is on winning the small battles. The key is to identify those crucial moments in close losses from the previous year and turn them into victories.
“I’ve talked about that since I’ve been here,” McCutchen said after Monday’s practice. “That’s what we need. You have to nail the small things. That’s what wins games. We’re not the L.A. Dodgers, and we never will be. We need to focus on what we do best and maximize it.”
“It’s all about the small things. If you can get those right, and the beauty of small things is they’re repeatable. If we make that our focus, we’ll be fine. That’s what we have to do.”
This season will be different for McCutchen, who was essentially the only experienced position player last year. The Pirates added Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier this winter, bringing in two veterans with recent playoff experience.
McCutchen said he’s more willing to step up as a leader this year when needed, but with the new additions, the leadership burden will be shared.
“We need guys like that in the clubhouse,” McCutchen said. “As much as I like to lead, I don’t want to do it all the time. It’s great to have others leading in their own way. I don’t feel the need to wear multiple hats to help the team. It’s nice to have those guys around.”
Frazier and McCutchen haven’t been teammates since McCutchen’s trade in 2017, but Frazier has since become a key part of three consecutive playoff teams: the Mariners in 2022, the Orioles in 2023, and the Royals in 2024. Each of those teams transitioned from missing the playoffs to reaching October, and the 2025 Pirates hope to follow suit.
Now back with his original team, Frazier feels at home despite the roster changes since his departure.
“It feels like home,” Frazier said. “I felt that way last year when I came back to PNC Park in September. A lot of familiar faces in the clubhouse—maybe not from this team, but from elsewhere—and seeing old teammates, coaches, and staff makes it easy to fit right back in.”
Hunter Stratton, who was one of the Pirates’ top relievers last season with a 3.58 ERA in 36 games, has been active in Spring Training. After suffering a ruptured patella tendon in his left knee last August, Stratton was non-tendered in November but quickly re-signed on a Minor League deal to stay with the team.
While Stratton isn’t yet running or doing fielding drills, his arm is in similar shape to the other pitchers in camp, making him a potential contender for the Opening Day bullpen.
“If he can check that box sometime during Spring Training, there’s no reason he wouldn’t be part of the competition,” said general manager Ben Cherington.
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