Former San Francisco Giants Outfielder Andrew McCutchen Returns to Pirates

Andrew McCutchen, a former San Francisco Giants player, is returning to his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates for another season.

Aug 25, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen (22) bats during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at AT&T Park. / Kiel Maddox-Imagn Images

The free agency market has started to heat up again over the past few hours, with multiple players agreeing to deals with new teams.

The San Francisco Giants haven't done anything on Monday, but former outfielder Andrew McCutchen did.

In a post on social media, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that McCutchen is "back."

Source: He’s back. pic.twitter.com/I2FqZJA2l9

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) December 23, 2024

The veteran only spent half a season with the Giants, playing in 130 games during the 2018 campaign.

He posted a .255/.357/.415 slash line, 115 OPS+, 15 home runs, 28 doubles, and 55 RBI.

McCutchen was one of the better players in Major League Baseball from 2011 to 2015. His prime wasn't the same span as other elite players around the league, making it tough to evaluate him in some sense, but there were times when not many in the game were better.

He won the National League MVP Award in 2013, finishing with a 157 OPS+ and hitting 21 home runs. McCutchen's best showing arguably came in 2014, when he finished third in NL MVP voting.

The veteran finished with a league-leading .410 OBP, .952 OPS, 166 OPS+, .423 rOBA, and hit 25 home runs.

His time in San Francisco was short-lived, but he's a tough player not to cheer for, no matter where he plays.

Finishing his career with the Pirates is something every fan around the league should want, and it looks likely to happen.

At 37 years old, it's uncertain how many more seasons he has in him. McCutchen hit 20 home runs in 2024, so perhaps there's still something in the tank.