Pirates, Andrew McCutchen Intend to Renew Contract Extension Talks This Winter
While the Pittsburgh Pirates’ playoff drought will extend to eight seasons next month, the organization has plenty to look forward to in 2024, including another potential return for hometown favourite Andrew McCutchen.
The Pirates welcomed McCutchen back to Pittsburgh last off-season by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5 million, sparking one of baseball’s most heartwarming stories of the season. One which saw fans expressing their appreciation several times throughout the year, particularly during his emotional return to PNC Park in April.
McCutchen’s first season back with the franchise that selected him 11th overall in 2005 was memorable. But sadly, it came to a disappointing end earlier this month after he landed on the injured list with a partial tear in his left Achilles.
Though it didn’t finish the way anyone hoped it would, the 36-year-old has already expressed interest in re-signing with the Pirates this off-season – a topic he and general manager Ben Cherington plan to discuss in the coming months.
“We have so much respect for Cutch,” Cherington told local reporters on Wednesday. “We signed him last offseason, first and foremost — and this really was the core of the conversation between him and I — because we thought he could help us be a better baseball team. And I think that that still should guide our discussions.”
It’s still unclear if McCutchen – who’ll visit an ankle and foot specialist later this week – will be 100 percent healthy before Opening Day 2024. But the Pirates don’t expect it to significantly impact his overall availability next season if he were to re-sign.
“We have incredible respect for him, on the field, off the field, what he’s meant,” Cherington said. “We believe that the injury he’s recovering from right now should not get in the way of him being a good baseball player next year and being someone who can help us, and we’ve agreed that we’ll pick that conversation up when the season is over.”
Pittsburgh traded McCutchen to San Francisco prior to the 2018 season – for a package that included outfielder Bryan Reynolds in exchange for the five-time All-Star. His stint, however, lasted just half a season as the Giants flipped him to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline.
The veteran centre-fielder signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019, enjoying three seasons with the neighbouring Pennsylvania franchise before joining the Milwaukee Brewers via free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Coming off an ineffective performance with the Brewers, McCutchen looked rejuvenated while mentoring a young and inexperienced Pirates roster this season, breathing excitement into the franchise’s current rebuild. And they’ve missed his presence lately – both on and off the field.
The 2013 NL MVP played 112 games in his Pirates return, posting 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, a 115 wRC+ and a .256/.378/.397 slash line. Additionally, he also recorded his 2,000th career hit but finished one home run shy of 300.
“It’s helped us, and I don’t see any particular reason why that can’t continue,” Cherington said. “I know what the reaction felt like when we signed him last offseason. I know what it felt like to hear that crowd on his first day back here and really the reaction to him throughout the season. Every time he came up to the plate it was kind of a different sound than [when] some other guys come up to the plate, so I think in that sense it’s obvious to all of us that it means something and hopefully there’s a lot more good moments out there with him.”
Despite not contributing in the field, McCutchen has continued to make a significant impact on the Pittsburgh community, as he was honoured at a special gala Thursday night to kick off the annual Roberto Clemente Day celebrations.
The impact of McCutchen’s return to Pittsburgh has been felt in the clubhouse and throughout the city since he rejoined the franchise last January. And that’s also helped him further solidify his position amongst the club’s all-time legends.
The Fort Meade, Fla., native ranks fourth in home runs (215), ninth in RBIs (768) and fWAR (47.1), 11th in games played (1,458) and 12th in hits (1,563) in franchise history.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Jeffrey Hyde. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.