Revitalized McCutchen not ready to retire, only wants to play for Pirates
Andrew McCutchen has no intentions of leaving Pittsburgh ever again.
Perhaps sparked by his return to the Pirates this winter, the former National League MVP is in the midst of a renaissance season that has him thinking about extending his career. But whether or not McCutchen continues playing beyond 2023, he's firm in his desire to finish his career in black and yellow.
"As long as things continue to be the way that they are, I'm going to continue to keep going," the 36-year-old told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I want to do it here. I don't want to do it anywhere else. I don't want to continue my career on another team."
McCutchen emerged as both a star and franchise savior during his original stint with the Pirates, earning four Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, and the 2013 NL MVP across his first nine seasons. He led the Bucs to their first winning records in 20 years and three playoff berths from 2013-15, although they won only one round - the 2013 NL wild-card game.
Pittsburgh traded the fan favorite to the San Francisco Giants in 2018, and McCutchen would play for four teams over the next five seasons. Last year, he posted a career-low .700 OPS over 134 games with the Milwaukee Brewers, leading to thoughts that his return to the Pirates on a one-year, $5-million deal this past offseason would end up as a ceremonial farewell tour.
Instead, McCutchen's found his groove again for the surprising Pirates. Serving as their primary designated hitter, he entered Saturday sporting a .269/.364/.462 slash line with eight homers, 20 RBIs, and five stolen bases across 44 games. He's also poised to reach several milestones in the next few months, sitting just 10 hits shy of 2,000 for his career and five homers from 300.
McCutchen is yet to sign an extension with the Pirates but is confident he's got plenty left in the tank if the team chooses to have him back.
"I'm not done," he said. "Tom Brady said he would stop playing when he (stunk). I don't want to put it in the same context, but when my body tells me I've had enough, then I've had enough. My body is still saying, 'Nah, you're good. You're fine.'"