Pittsburgh Pirates Reach Into The Past To Sign Former MVP

It's a blast from the past for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who've brought back a very familiar face to Bucos' fans, signing their former MVP and 5-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen.

Guess who's back.

Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a one-year deal, @RobBiertempfel confirms. pic.twitter.com/QReehIurJ3
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) January 13, 2023

The deal is said to worth $5M.

McCutchen was also being courted by teams like the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, but he apparently must feel that he's still more than a 4th outfielder, as the Pirates should give him ample playing time in the OF and at DH, along with other newcomers Connor Joe and Carlos Santana.

Cutch can still go get it in the outfield corners, as he had 5 Defensive Runs Saved last year in just 50 games in the OF.

McCutchen spent his first nine years in the bigs as a Pirate, batting .291 over that span, with an .866 OPS, 203 HR, 171 SBs, one Gold Glove, four Silver Sluggers, and the aforementioned MVP plus five All-Star appearances.

He's no longer that guy, of course, at age 36. Last season, he batted .237 with a .700 OPS with the Milwaukee Brewers, in 515 at-bats, finishing as essentially a league average hitter with an OPS+ of 99.

But he'll offer a world of experience, leadership, and mentorship for the young Bucs.

Andrew McCutchen returns to the Pirates on the verge of some big round numbers: He's got 1,948 career hits, 392 doubles, 287 home runs, 983 walks. It'll likely be a summer of milestones.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 13, 2023

And, as Buster Olney points out, he could reach some big milestones this summer back where it all started: 2,000 career hits, 300 home runs, and 1,000 career walks are all well within reach for Cutch.