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Pirates bring back former MVP: Fan favorite Andrew McCutchen ‘returns to Pittsburgh’ at 36 as club adds outfield depth amid Bryan Reynolds trade rumors
Former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is reportedly set to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where the 36-year-old outfielder had his best seasons between 2009 and 2017.
Details of the deal have not been released and he still needs to pass a physical before the team can announce the deal publicly.
A five-time All-Star, McCutchen is just 52 career hits shy of 2,000 and 13 home runs shy of 300. He surpassed the 1,000 RBI mark as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.
Former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is reportedly set to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where the 36-year-old outfielder had his best seasons between 2009 and 2017.
Presumably, McCutchen would be used for outfield depth and occasionally as a designated hitter, particularly against lefties. Right-handed hitter McCutchen had a respectable .738 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) against lefties in 2022, compared to .685 against righties. And for his career, that discrepancy is even starker: .936 OPS against lefties and .807 against righties.
It could also serve as an insurance policy should the Pirates decide to trade outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who has reportedly drawn interest from several contenders amid an impasse with Pittsburgh over a potential contract extension.
McCutchen, a former high school football star in Florida, was selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft. He would go on to five consecutive All-Star selections from 2011 to 2015, while winning the MVP award. of the National League in 2013. He also led the National League in on-base percentage and OPS in 2014 after finishing first in hits two years earlier.
Since then, McCutchen has played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Brewers, with varying degrees of success.
McCutchen (pictured, left, with Pittsburgh in 2010) would presumably be used for outfield depth and occasionally as a designated hitter, particularly against lefties. Right-handed hitter McCutchen had a respectable .738 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) against lefties in 2022, compared to .685 against righties. And for his career, that discrepancy is even starker: .936 OPS against lefties and .807 against righties. It could also serve as an insurance policy should the Pirates decide to trade outfielder Bryan Reynolds (right), who has reportedly drawn interest from several contenders amid a standoff with Pittsburgh over a potential extension of contract.