The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that they have agreed to terms with outfielder Andrew McCutchen on a six-year deal, with a club option for 2018. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
(The deal as previously reported is a six year contract worth $51.5 million that includes a club option in 2018 for $14.75 million)
The 25-year-old McCutchen has received numerous national accolades since being Pittsburgh’s first round selection (11th pick overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. In addition to being named to the National-League All-Star team in 2011, McCutchen was named the 2009 Major League Rookie-of-the-Year by Baseball America and was a member of the Topps 2009 Major League All-Rookie Team. He was also a minor league All-Star in 2006 and 2008 and was Pittsburgh’s minor league Player-of-the-Year in 2006.
Widely considered one of the rising stars in Major League Baseball, McCutchen made his Major League debut on 6/4/09 and has been a permanent fixture in center field for the Pirates ever since. He has increased his games played totals, as well as his home run and RBI totals in each of his first three big league seasons.
“Andrew McCutchen is one of the best young players in the game and we are very pleased to make this type of commitment to a great player and a great person,” said Huntington. “It has been our intent for Andrew to be a cornerstone for this organization and this contract solidifies that intent for at least the next seven years. We appreciate the tireless advocacy on behalf of Andrew by his agent Steve Hammond and we also appreciate the efforts of our Vice President and Legal Counsel, Bryan Stroh, on behalf of the Pirates. We believe this agreement to be very positive for both sides and we look forward to Andrew being a key part of our current and future success.”
“This is an exciting day for the Pirates organization and for Pirates fans,” said Bob Nutting, Pirates Chairman of the Board. “In addition to being a dynamic player on the field and a leader in the clubhouse, Andrew is an outstanding representative of the Pirates in the community. We have said from the very beginning that our plan is to acquire high impact talent, then retain and build on that talent to bring a winning organization to our fans. I believe this agreement speaks not only to that commitment, but also to Andrew’s belief in the positive direction of our club.”
McCutchen led the Pirates in home runs (23), RBI (89) and stolen bases (23) in 2011, becoming just the eighth player in team history to collect at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in the same season. His 89 RBI last season ranked second behind Matt Kemp (123) among National League center fielders and he led all N.L. center fielders with 430 chances and 414 putouts.
In his first three seasons in the Majors, McCutchen has recorded a .276 batting average, 95 doubles, 19 triples, 51 home runs, 199 RBI, 78 stolen bases and a .365 on-base percentage in 420 games.
Off the field, McCutchen makes an impact in the community by partnering with the Pittsburgh Public Schools Athletics Reform Program to encourage children to lead a healthy lifestyle by getting involved in athletics. He makes regular appearances at Pittsburgh Public Schools throughout the season to talk with students on the benefits of athletics. McCutchen also hosts groups of students at PNC Park to meet his teammates and watch batting practice. He treats students to tickets near his center field position, food and beverage vouchers as well as “Cutch’s Crew” t-shirts.
Consistent with this commitment to the community, McCutchen has agreed to make an annual donation to Pirates Charities to assist in its mission of improving the lives of children and adults in the greater Pittsburgh region with an emphasis on supporting youth programs focused on health, fitness, and education by developing partnerships with those who share in our mission.