Phillies adding ex-Giant ‘Cutch’
All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Phillies have agreed to a $50 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations said.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement, which includes a club option for 2022, is subject to a successful physical.
McCutchen, 32, was an AllStar each season from 2011 through ’15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012 through ’14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.
McCutchen spent nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to the Giants last winter. He was dealt to the Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.
McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major-league seasons. Angels on the mend: Angels first baseman Albert Pujols has been cleared to do extensive upper-body work and also has begun low-impact lower-body exercises as he recovers from surgery on his left knee and right elbow. Pujols, who turns 39 next month, isn’t yet ready to swing a bat, general manager Billy Eppler said.
Two-way player Shohei Ohtani is back home in Japan, continuing his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery Oct. 1. The AL Rookie of the Year’s range of motion “is in very good shape,” according to Eppler, and he has full extension and flexion of the right arm. Tampa Bay ballpark: Rays owner Stuart Sternberg says the team’s planned ballpark for Tampa’s Ybor City can’t be finalized by this month’s deadline and he will reopen the site search, delaying any opening until at least 2024. The team has played since its first season in 1998 at what is now called Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where its lease ends in 2027. Briefly: The Athletic reported that the Rockies hired former A’s infielder Dave Magadan to be hitting coach . ... The Red Sox will flip the top two hitters in their lineup, with Mookie Betts moving to second and Andrew Benintendi hitting leadoff . ... The Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox reached agreement with exGiants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.