Cutch course:
The Phillies reeled in another outfielder, and Andrew McCutchen has bought into the vision of winning.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Andrew McCutchen smiled when asked why he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent, then gave a brutally honest answer.
“Did you see what they offered me?” McCutchen said. “That’s an easy choice.”
McCutchen made out well in a second straight slow-moving market. He signed a three-year, $50 million contract on Dec. 12 at a time when more than 100 free agents had to yet to find a home.
McCutchen entered free agency for the first time in his career at 32 and admits he was entering unknown territory.
That was quite a change from when McCutchen signed a sixyear, $51 million extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training in 2012. Back then, he assumed he would be set up for an even bigger payday once that contract expired.
“I didn’t know what to expect, because I saw the way last year went,” McCutchen said. “We knew there was a chance of this year being the same, if not worse. You go into it really excited, but at the same time, there’s just a bunch of questions that come with it — not knowing what’s going to be offered, not knowing what you’re going to get, not knowing what teams are going to be interested — pretty much just waiting by the phone, waiting for my agent to call and tell me who’s interested.”
“That gets your blood pressure up a little bit, just going through that process — a lot different process than I expected years ago. I always thought the mind-set was it’s a very exciting time. I get to choose where I go. Now, leading up to it, you choose, but it’s not necessarily that you’ve got teams coming left and right saying, ‘We want you. We want you.’ It wasn’t like that. I’m very pleased with the way the process went. It went good. The guys here, they were awesome. It went as smooth as
it could have possibly gone.”
McCutchen is entering his 11th season. Though he reached the postseason three times with the Pirates from 2013 to 2015 and again last year after the New York Yankees acquired him from the San Francisco Giants in a late-season trade, McCutchen has never been on a team that has advanced past the Division Series round.
Even though the Phillies haven’t had a winning season since winning their fifth consecutive National League East title in 2011, McCutchen was convinced they were ready to win after team officials laid out the franchise’s vision.
“The Phillies were trying to get big-name guys when they signed me and I knew they weren’t done,” McCutchen said. “They are really all-in. You want that as a player, especially when you’ve tasted (the postseason) before. That’s what it’s all about. I want to win a championship and I think this team is capable of that.”
Philadelphia landed the biggest name of all in free agency last week when they officially signed Bryce Harper to a 13year, $330 million contract, the largest in baseball history.
The addition of Harper gives the Phillies outfield a pair of former NL MVPs. McCutchen won the award in 2013 and Harper was a unanimous pick two years later with the Washington Nationals.
However, McCutchen and Harper are only part of the Phillies’ makeover. Closer David Robertson was signed as a free agent and Philadelphia traded for a pair of players who were All-Stars last season when they acquired catcher J.T. Realmuto from the Miami Marlins and shortstop Jean Segura from the Seattle Mariners.
The Phillies believe McCutchen can be a big part of a turnaround and manager Gabe Kapler likes the lineup flexibility he provides. McCutchen can hit both at the top and in the middle of the batting order, though he will likely lead off in front of Segura, Harper, slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins and Realmuto.
“I can hit anywhere you put me,” McCutchen said. “I’ve been up and down the lineup and there’s not one place that I’m way more comfortable at than another. I’m comfortable leading off, hitting third, fifth, sixth whatever. I’ve done it all.”
McCutchen is no longer the player he was back in his prime with the Pirates. However, he seemed to be rejuvenated by the trade to the Yankees last season as he hit .253 with a .421 onbase percentage and five home runs in 25 games.
“This is a game of adjustments,” McCutchen said. “I’ve definitely had to make some adjustments over the years, and I know that I can be even better than what I’ve been over the past few (seasons). There has been a decline, yes, but I do understand what I’m capable of doing.”
McCutchen has also learned he needs to work harder on his conditioning as he enters what figures to be the latter stages of his career. McCutchen has been on the disabled list only once in his career and Kapler is counting on him for 600-plus plate appearances this season.
“I know I can be better, and that’s what I did all offseason: preparing and working, and tha’‘s not going to stop now that we’re in spring training and getting closer to the season,” McCutchen said. “I’m looking forward to being even better than I’ve been. I’m never satisfied, and I don’t settle with what I’ve done.”