Pirates fans woke up to some surprising, yet exciting, news this morning.
According to multiple reports, the Pirates are bringing back former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen on a one-year contract, pending a physical.
The 36-year-old outfielder returns to Pittsburgh after a year in Milwaukee, where he hit .237 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 134 games.
The Pirates originally drafted McCutchen 11th overall in the 2005 MLB Draft and after four years, he made his debut at PNC Park against the New York Mets.
He quickly rose to fame over the next few seasons, notching five consecutive All-Star appearances and one NL MVP. He was also part of the 2013 Pirates that snapped the franchise’s streak of losing season and playoff drought.
He was traded to San Francisco in the 2017 offseason in exchange for RHP Kyle Crick and current star Bryan Reynolds. After spending half a season with the Giants, he was traded to the New York Yankees. Following that, he spent three seasons in Philadelphia.
McCutchen enters 2023 on the verge of several milestones. He has 1,925 total hits, 283 home runs, 986 RBIs, 388 doubles, 49 triples, and 965 walks.
His deal is worth a reported $5 million.