Friday brought a sense of nostalgia to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as they signed former franchise superstar Andrew McCutchen to a one-year deal worth $5 million for the 2023 season. And shortly after the announcement that he's heading back to where he made his name, Cutch reacted in the most perfect way imaginable on social media:
Where it all began pic.twitter.com/TmHG8yWbg1
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) January 13, 2023
Ain't that right? During his time with the Pirates, McCutchen made the NL All-Star team five times in nine seasons, won MVP in 2013, and captured a Silver Slugger award every year between 2012 and 2015. Pittsburgh drafted him 11th overall in 2005 out of Fort Meade High School in Florida. Just four years later, he made his big league debut as a 22-year-old.
Andrew McCutchen might not be the same player of the past, but he's still got some pop in his bat. The veteran hit .237 with 17 home runs in 2022 with the Milwaukee Brewers in 134 games. According to FanSided's Kody Duncan, both the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets offered him the exact same contract that Pittsburgh put on the table.
While going to Minny or the Big Apple would've given Cutch the chance to contend and be in the playoffs, he was clearly content with running it back with the Bucs and potentially finishing out his career with the same organization that made his dreams become a reality in 05′. After all, he's a big reason this franchise made the playoffs three times between 2013 and 2015.
The Pirates traded McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants in 2018 as the headliner of the blockbuster that brought Bryan Reynolds to town. He's now turned into arguably their best player, but Reynolds is still looking to be moved and has turned down the team's recent extension offers.
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