Andrew McCutchen is headed back to where it all started. The veteran outfielder is signing a deal with the Pirates, the same team with which he broke out as an MLB star, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Pittsburgh is reportedly signing McCutchen to a one year deal worth $5 million, pending a physical.
The Pirates drafted McCutchen in the first round of the 2005 MLB draft, and the outfielder would become a franchise cornerstone. Starting with his MLB debut in 2009, McCutchen became one of the best players in the league while manning center field in Pittsburgh, which included an MVP season in 2013.
McCutchen helped lead the Pirates to three-straight playoff appearances from 2013 to ’15, breaking a 20-year drought. He currently sits fourth in team history on the home run list, and in the top 10 in total bases.
Before the 2018 season, a year before McCutchen was set to hit free agency, Pittsburgh traded him to the Giants in a deal that got them Bryan Reynolds. McCutchen would play for San Francisco then the Yankees, Phillies and Brewers over the next five seasons, while the Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since.
In 2023, McCutchen has a chance to reach 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 400 doubles for his career.
Since 2018, the Pirates have been one of the worst teams in baseball, which include back-to-back years with the worst record in the league and over 200 losses since 2021.
