Andrew McCutchen Wants to Stay with Pirates
PITTSBURGH -- Andrew McCutchen has played most of his professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and there's nothing more he'd love to do than to continue that.
McCutchen fielded a question on Twitter from a fan that asked him if he would come back. He responded to them with a 'gif' of a viral clip of rapper Kodak Black saying, "I Hope So" on The Breakfast Club, a national radio show based in New York City.
https://t.co/YuL1MVFyCm pic.twitter.com/zvSwJJbCGB
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) November 4, 2024
McCutchen was one of five Pirates players who recently elected for free agency, joining left-handed pitchers Aroldis Chapman, Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki and catcher Yasmani Grandal.
He served mostly as a designated hitter last season, playing in 120 games, with 104 hits, 18 doubles, 20 home runs and 50 RBIs and slashing .232/.328/.411 at 38 years old for the Pirates.
McCutchen wanting to come back isn't too surprising, as he has spent 11 seasons with the Pirates in his long MLB career.
The Pirates selected McCutchen with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft out of Fort Meade High School in Fort Meade, Fla. They convinced him to forgo his commitment to Florida, offering him a $1.9 million signing bonus.
McCutchen made his MLB debut in June 2009 and had a great rookie campaign, slashing .286/.365/.471, while adding 124 hits, 26 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 54 walks to 83 strikeouts. He finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
His continued to improve over the coming years, with five consecutive All-Star appearances for the NL from 2011-15, four consecutive Silver Slugger Awards from 2012-15 and a Gold Glove Award in 2012.
McCutchen won the NL MVP in 2013, as he slashed .317/.404/.508 with 185 hits, 38 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs 84 RBIs, 27 steals and 78 walks to 101 strikeouts. He also helped the Pirates end a streak 20-consecutive losing seasons and make the Playoffs for the first time since 1992.
The Pirates traded McCutchen after the 2017 season to the San Francisco Giants. He spent part of the 2018 season there, before they traded him to the New York Yankees.
He signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies that offseason, keeping him there through the 2021 season. He also played the 2022 season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
McCutchen re-signed with the Pirates on a one-year, $5 million contract before the 2023 season. He would do the same prior to the 2024 season and the Pirates will likely try to bring him back
The fan favorite has played 1,578 games over 11 seasons for Pittsburgh, slashing 284/.375/.475, along with 1,667 hits, 329 doubles, 45 triples, 235 home runs, 818 RBIs and 818 walks, plus 185 stolen bases.
