Jeff Passan argues that Andrew McCutchen's contract is one of the most team-friendly in all of baseball:
↵↵↵The five years and $51 million remaining on McCutchen's deal – from this point forth, all references to contracts are from the 2013 season and beyond, and the numbers include the cost of option buyouts – represent arguably the greatest non-[Evan] Longoria bargain with regards to cost and performance. At 25 years old, McCutchen is in the midst of a remarkable season – you can argue he's been better than [Mike] Trout – that can be summed up thusly: Over the last 50 years, only George Brett, Jeff Bagwell, Larry Walker, Todd Helton and Barry Bonds have finished a season with triple-slash numbers as good as his (.368/.429/.629).
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McCutchen's season has been crucial to the Pirates' surprisingly strong play this year. It was clear that his contract was a bargain when he signed it, and it's an even bigger one now.
↵Passan names Evan Longoria the most team-friendly contract in baseball, with Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun and Carlos Gonzalez coming in third through fifth.
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