Andrew McCutchen is going back to where it all began. The free-agent outfielder has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Pirates jersey.
Andrew McCutchen : Pirates Jersey | Career stats
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen is reportedly set to return to where it all began for him in his Major League Baseball career.
According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, McCutchen has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mackey added the contract will be worth $5 million.
The 36-year-old spent last season with the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .237 with 17 homers, 69 RBI, 66 runs and a .700 OPS in 134 games.
It was a bit of a letdown campaign after he bashed 27 homers and 80 RBI the season prior with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Andrew McCutchen Pirates Jersey
Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a one-year deal, bringing the veteran outfielder back to the city in which he spent the first nine seasons of his MLB career, league sources told UPI on Friday.
The Pirates did not officially announce the transaction, which is pending a physical, but did post a GIF of McCutchen on their Twitter feed. McCutchen, 36, entered the league as the No. 11 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2005 MLB Draft.
The five-time All-Star and 2013 National League MVP made his MLB debut in 2009. He hit .291 with 203 home runs, 292 doubles, 44 triples, 171 stolen bases and 725 RBIs over his nine seasons with the Pirates.
The Pirates traded McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants before the 2018 season. The Giants then traded McCutchen to the New York Yankees in August that year.
McCutchen signed with the Phillies in December 2018 as a free agent. He joined the Brewers last off-season in free agency.
McCutchen, who was used as a designated hitter and outfielder, hit .237 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 134 games last season for the Brewers. He has a career .277 batting average, with 287 homers, 205 stolen bases and 1,002 RBIs.
Career stats
McCutchen, who had committed to the University of Florida, was drafted 11th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2005 MLB draft. He signed with the Pirates, receiving a $1.9 million signing bonus, instead of attending Florida.
| MLB debut | |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2009, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics ( As of Writing ) |
|
| Batting average | .277 |
| Hits | 1,948 |
| Home runs | 287 |
| Runs batted in | 1,002 |
| Stolen bases | 205 |
On December 12, 2018, the Philadelphia Phillies signed McCutchen to a three-year contract worth $50 million, with a $15 million club option and a $3 million buyout for 2022.
On June 3, 2019, McCutchen suffered a knee injury running the bases against the San Diego Padres. Then On June 4, an MRI revealed McCutchen had a torn ACL, and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.
And on June 14, he had surgery to reconstruct the ACL in his left knee and to repair a medial meniscus.
At the time of his injury, he was batting .256/.378/.457 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 219 at bats, leading the NL with 43 walks, and ranked 3rd with 4.45 pitches per plate appearance and 5th with 45 runs scored.
On March 16, 2022, McCutchen signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers worth $8.5 million.
McCutchen made his Brewers debut on April 7, 2022, and recorded a double to the right field corner off of Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks in his first at-bat. He was placed on the COVID–19 injury list on May 7.
In 2022, McCutchen batted .237/.316/.384(the lowest slugging percentage of his career) with 17 home runs in 515 at bats.
He had the fastest sprint speed of all major league designated hitters, at 28.9 feet/second.