With the MVP, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger on his list of accomplishments, McCutchen is more concerned with adding a championship to his resume. Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
BRADENTON, Fla. — Though there is seemingly no urgency to sign Andrew McCutchen to a contract extension, Pirates owner Bob Nutting is hoping to make sure the star center fielder spends his entire career in Pittsburgh.
McCutchen has three years and $38 million remaining on his six-year, $51.5 million contract. The Pirates also hold a $14.75 million club option for 2018 that they will almost certainly exercise unless McCutchen experiences a steep drop-off in performance or a major injury.
At the end of the 2018 season, McCutchen would be just shy of his 32nd birthday and seemingly in the decline phase of his career. However, the Pirates feel he should age well because he stays in excellent physical condition. They also like that he has never had any off-field issues.
“Andrew’s been a critical part of the team,” Nutting said. “I love having him in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform and I hope he (wears it) for a long, long time.”
The Pirates are perennially among the lowest-spending teams in the major leagues and McCutchen is likely looking at an extension in the range of five years and $125 million. Yet Nutting seems willing to pay up for a player who was the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player and had an outstanding 2014 in which he hit .314 with 25 home runs, 18 stolen bases and a league-best .410 on-base percentage in 146 games.
“It’s a challenge we’re looking forward to,” Nutting said.
McCutchen, for his part, says he isn’t thinking about an extension.
“Right now, I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “If it happens, that would be great.”
McCutchen has helped the Pirates reach the postseason in each of the last two years after they had 20 consecutive losing seasons, which is a North American major professional sports record.
With the MVP, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger on his list of accomplishments, McCutchen is more concerned with adding a championship to his resume. The Pirates haven’t won a division title since 1992 or been to the World Series since 1979, when they beat the Baltimore Orioles.
“We’re not here to try to win a wild-card game,” McCutchen said. “We’re here to win the division and keep going from there to win a championship.”
