A season that started out magically will end on a sour note for Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
MLB.com‘s Justice delos Santos noted this week that McCutchen’s season is over, as “he will be in a walking boot for approximately six weeks” after suffering a partial tear to his left achilles tendon. Included in the rest of the slate for Pittsburgh is a trip to play against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park from Sept. 26-28.
It’s a difficult way for McCutchen’s first season back in Pittsburgh to end, especially given that he’s currently sitting on 299 career home runs. However, if the free-agent-to-be has his way, he’ll return to the Pirates in 2024, rather than testing free agency this offseason.
“I’ve vocalized … plenty of times about wanting to be here,” McCutchen said, via delos Santos. “[Hitting 300] isn’t going to be right anywhere else.”
McCutchen inked a one-year/$5 million deal with the Pirates back in January, returning to the team that he spent the first nine seasons of his career with. While McCutchen had stints with the Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers sandwiched in between his two tenures with the Pirates, almost all of his major accomplishments in his career have come while playing in Pittsburgh. McCutchen made five All-Star Game appearances with the Pirates, and won the 2013 NL MVP with the team.
So naturally, his return to Pittsburgh created a very special moment at PNC Park for the home opener this season:
The King of Pittsburgh is back!
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) April 7, 2023
An incredible for moment for Andrew McCutchen as he receives a standing ovation in his first game back in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/b1bvqNdSW3
The Pirates had an excellent start to the 2023 season, going 20-9 between March and April. But entering play Friday, Pittsburgh has a 65-75 record, so this year has turned into another largely lost season for the Pirates.
Still, McCutchen — who played for the Phillies from 2019-2021 — had a very solid individual season. Following a disappointing campaign with the Brewers last year, McCutchen will finish 2023 having slashed .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, 75 walks, a .776 OPS and a 1.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs.
It’s getting close to the end for the 36-year-old, but given how close he is to 300 home runs, one would think he’ll play at least one more season, and likely do so for the Pirates.
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