By The Associated Press’s Will Graves
Pittsburgh Andrew McCutchen is aware that his baseball career is coming to an end.
It hasn’t arrived yet.
The five-time All-Star, who is certain that he can still make an impact for a team attempting to return to postseason contention, agreed on Monday to a $5 million, one-year contract to remain in Pittsburgh for the 2025 campaign.
The 38-year-old stated, “I think the biggest thing for me is knowing I can still compete and can still produce.” I still believe that there is room for improvement, and I am aware of it.
McCutchen will realize it’s time to go on when that difficult-to-define thing goes away. That day will arrive sooner rather than later, the 2013 National League MVP knows. It hasn’t arrived yet. He is currently looking forward to spending 12 of those years in his chosen homeland during his 17th season in the major leagues.
Pittsburgh, where he was drafted in 2005 and played his first nine seasons before returning in 2023, has always been a place where McCutchen has expressed a desire to complete his career.
The organization intended to find a way to retain the outfielder-turned-designated hitter, who hit.232 with 20 home runs and 53 RBIs in 120 games last season, as general manager Ben Cherington stated frequently before the close of the previous campaign.
FILE – On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates watches his three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins. (File: Matt Freed/AP Photo)AP
The same was true for the individual who signs the cheques.
Andrew’s continued wearing a Pirates uniform was crucial to me and everyone else in our organization. Pirates chairman Bob Nutting stated in a statement that it is where he belongs. Andrew expressed to me his sincere desire to support the team in any manner he can, both on the field and in the clubhouse, during our conversations. I’m happy he’s back.
McCutchen is also working on a CV that might be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame after he retires. He will have 319 home runs and 2,127 hits going into 2025. For a team that has been in existence for more than 137 years, he is also among the top 10 in the majority of the major offensive statistics.
The drive that made him one of the biggest stars in the game while leading the team to three consecutive playoff berths from 20013-15 is still going strong, even though McCutchen acknowledged that there are some parts of preparing for the season that he doesn’t quite enjoy, such as finding a rental home for his wife Maria and their four kids during a two-month stay in Bradenton, Florida, Pittsburgh’s spring training home.
According to him, I’ve always wished to be in a situation where I could play for as long as I wanted to or as long as my body would allow.
Despite having hamstring problems the previous season and being out in September 2023 due to an Achilles injury, McCutchen managed to hit the 20-homer threshold for the tenth time. During the offseason, he has worked to reduce his weight to 190 pounds, which is roughly 10 pounds less than he was in 2024.
He stated, “I do believe that’s going to help me a lot and my legs out a lot.” and figuring out when to switch it on and off. Since I believe I can produce, I do believe that if I can do that, I will be able to stay on the field and start for more than 120 games.
Paul Skenes, the NL Rookie of the Year, is a member of the Pirates’ starting rotation. The team is coming off a second consecutive 76-86 season. Even though Pittsburgh hasn’t done much to add quality to a lineup that ended in the bottom of the NL in runs, batting average, and home runs, McCutchen is still optimistic about the near future. So far, the only noteworthy acquisition has been the acquisition of Spencer Horwitz, a first baseman.
However, McCutchen isn’t entirely committed to the notion that the Pirates must spend money in order to compete. Ten years ago, he was the focal point of Pittsburgh teams with modest payrolls that made it to the playoffs three times in a row, from 2013 to 2015.
According to him, there are some things you can’t see on paper. You simply get out there and take action. We had the opportunity to perform numerous modest tasks. I’m here to do that.
https://apnews.com/hub/MLB is the AP MLB website.
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