Michael Sanserino reports that Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates have agreed to terms on a long-term deal that will keep the Bucs’ brightest star under team control through 2018.
Source: #Pirates and Andrew McCutchen agree on a 6-year contract worth $51.5 m with a club option for $14.75 m.
McCutchen had been scheduled to become a free agent after the 2015 season, but now that date has been pushed back three years, counting the team option. The deal is roughly similar to long-term deals signed by the Reds’ Jay Bruce and the Diamondbacks’ Justin Upton, two young outfielders who are/were roughly comparable to McCutchen in terms of value and free agency status. Both those deals were for around $51 million.
This move will come as a great relief to Pirates fans. McCutchen is already a star, and at 25, his best years may well be ahead of him, given his athleticism, well-rounded skill set, and good health. At the very least, this move pushes back McCutchen’s likely departure from the Pirates by a couple seasons, and those seasons will probably be when McCutchen is in his late 20s and at the peak of his powers. This move also increases the likelihood that the Pirates will have McCutchen as a young veteran on a team that features top young talents like Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon, assuming those players continue to develop.
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