Pittsburgh Pirates Add Old Hero In Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen

Andrew McCutchen, who won National League MVP honors for the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates, is going home again at age 36.

The veteran outfielder has accepted a one-year, $5 million deal, pending a physical, just days after the Bucs gave $8 million to pitcher Rich Hill, the oldest man in the majors.

Such spending is atypical for the Pirates, who have relied on young players in recent seasons but decided to add veterans after a 100-loss season that left them tied for last in the National League Central.

McCutchen, a five-time All-Star, spent his first nine seasons in Pittsburgh, leading the club to its last three playoff appearances, in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The Pirates have not reached the World Series since 1979 and the McCutchen signing is not expected to end that drought.

He hasn’t played as many as 150 games in a season since 2018 and has battled injuries, including a torn ACL, while splitting his time among the Phillies, Giants, Yankees, and Brewers in recent years.

At his peak, however, the native Floridian was one of the game’s brightest stars. During his MVP campaign in 2013, McCutchen hit .317 with a .404 on-base percentage and .508 slugging average while stealing 27 bases. A year later, he led the NL with a .410 on-base percentage and .952 OPS.

A .277 lifetime hitter with 287 home runs, McCutchen has never hit more than 31 home runs or collected more than 96 runs batted in at any time during his 14-season sojourn in the majors. But his career .369 on-base percentage shows he has a good batting eye, drawing a healthy share of walks.

Once a Gold Glove center-fielder, he is now best deployed in either corner and figures to double as designated hitter and left-fielder for the 2023 Pirates.

A compact slugger, McCutchen carries 195 pounds on a 5’11” frame. He began his pro career after the Pirates made him a first-round amateur draft choice in 2005.

His first tenure with the team ended when Pittsburgh traded him to San Francisco for a package of prospects that included current Pirates star Bryan Reynolds.

Primarily a DH with the 2022 Brewers, McCutchen hit lefties well, finishing with 13 homers and a career-worst .237 average. But he has several goals to shoot for this season; he’s 52 hits away from reaching 2,000 and 13 home runs short of 300.

Although the McCutchen signing enables the Pirates to bring a former hero home – and thus attract more fans to PNC Park – it is out of character for a club that has eschewed veteran free agents in favor of cheaper, younger players.

The team has taken on an estimated $30 million in adding McCutchen, Hill, Carlos Santana ($6.725 million), Ji-Man Choi (projected $4.35 million in arbitration), Austin Hedges ($5 million), Vince Velasquez ($3.15 million), and Jarlin Garcia ($2.5 million) via free agency. All have one-year contracts and could be valuable mid-season trade chips when contenders look to beef up for the stretch drive.

During the preceding off-season, the budget-conscious Pirates spent only $2.5 million on free agent help.

Pittsburgh still ranks near the bottom of the heap in total payroll, according to Spotrac. Even with its latest additions, Pittsburgh’s 2023 payroll won’t reach $80MM.

Only the Guardians, Rays, Orioles, and Athletics rank lower. With pitchers and catchers due to report in a month, the pool of available free agents has been draining.

McCutchen, Adam Duvall, and Trey Mancini had been the primary unsigned outfielders.