The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed Andrew McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million deal, according to Jason Mackey. The deal is exactly the same as what McCutchen made in 2023, when he returned to the Pirates after being traded away prior to the 2018 season.
McCutchen batted .256/.378/.397 last year in 473 plate appearances, before going down on September 4th with a partial Achilles tear. That ended his season, but isn’t expected to impact him for 2024. McCutchen spent his time almost exclusively as the designated hitter, although he did play eight games and 64.2 innings in right field.
Last year, McCutchen exceeded the 2,000 hit milestone, and currently sits at 2,048. He also currently sits at 299 home runs, which means his first home run of the 2024 season will be a significant career milestone. McCutchen is more than a player to watch for milestones. He’s still a significant contributor in the lineup. His .378 OBP last year was almost 40 points higher than the next regulars in the lineup.
The Pirates suffered injuries last year early in the season, which may have led to McCutchen being used a bit more than expected. The injury to Ji-Man Choi at first base led to Carlos Santana getting daily playing time on the field, when the offseason plan seemed to have Choi and Santana factoring into the DH mix with McCutchen. If the Pirates want to get to the playoffs, McCutchen can still be an important factor in that journey. They’ll also need to ensure better depth this season, to prevent him being over-used in the early part of the season.
