*Photo from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette*
The reunion tour is continuing in the steel city. The Pittsburgh Pirates and OF Andrew McCutchen have agreed to a one year, $5 million contract, according to both McCutchen and the Pirates.
Pittsburgh chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement that "In every discussion with Andrew, it was clear we both shared the same strong desire for him to remain a Pirate. He is a tremendous person, player and teammate. He is an all-time great Pirates player who represents our city with a deep sense of pride. His presence in our lineup and our clubhouse has had a significant impact on our young team. The way he plays the game on the field and carries himself in the community will continue to make all of us in the organization better."
After starting his career in Pittsburgh, he was traded ahead of 2018 to the San Francisco Giants in a package that brought Kyle Crick and Bryan Reynolds to Pittsburgh. He played for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers after that before re-signing with the Pirates entering 2023.
Last season marked the start of his second stint with the team. Before dealing with elbow inflammation and a torn Achilles, McCutchen posted a .256/.378/.397 slash line with a 113 OPS+, hitting 12 home runs and 19 doubles with 43 RBI's in 112 games.
In his first stint with the Pirates, McCutchen was a key cog in helping the team reach the playoffs for 3 straight years from 2013 to 2015, snapping a 20 year playoff drought in 2013 as he won the NL MVP that season, becoming the 7th Pirate to do so.
McCutchen said of returning to the team that "There’s more for me to do, and there’s more that I can add to this team. They’re not doing this out of pity or because of who I am. They’re doing it because they know there’s a lot I can still bring to this team."
The start of 2023 was filled with McCutchen reaching milestones. He passed the 2,000 hit, 1,000 walk, and 400 double marks in the first half of the season, with 300 home runs approaching as well. Unfortunately, his season ended prematurely thanks to elbow inflammation and a torn Achilles, leaving him one home run short of 300.
McCutchen has played 15 years in the majors with 5 different teams, including the Pirates for 10. He has amassed a .276/.369/.465 slash line with a 128 OPS+, hitting 411 doubles and driving in 1,045 runs with 216 stolen bases in addition to his 299 home runs in 2,007 games. He has 11 hits and one RBI in 53 plate appearances that span 13 games in the playoffs.
If McCutchen plays the outfield in 2024, he'll mix in with a group that includes Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Henry Davis, Connor Joe, and newly acquired Edward Olivares. The Pirates have also brought in Rowdy Tellez, Martin Perez, and Marco Gonzales this offseason.
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