The Pirates gave themselves a Christmas present yesterday by signing Andrew McCutchen to his third straight one-year contract worth $5 million.
“Cutch” says he will play the upcoming season five to ten pounds lighter than last year, when he weighed 200 pounds. He missed games due to a partial Achilles tendon tear in 2023 and a quad injury in ’24.
The Pirates were 76-86 in each of the last two years but they’ve built one of the strongest starting rotations in the big leagues and have a mix of young bats to go along with McCutchen.
McCutchen says he likes the grounded approach the young Bucs bring to the game.
This will be McCutchen’s 17th season in the Major Leagues, his 12th with the Pirates. He hit .232 with 20 home runs, 18 doubles, and 50 RBIs in 120 games last season. He’s also played for the Giants, Yankees, Phillies and Brewers.
