PHOENIX — At 35, Andrew McCutchen is no longer the perennial MVP candidate who gave the Brewers so much trouble when he wore a Pirates uniform a decade ago. But he still hits lefties and gets the job done in the outfield, and there was a place for a player like that on Milwaukee’s roster.
The Brewers reached an agreement on Monday evening with McCutchen, the free agent going into his 14th Major League season, a source told MLB.com. The deal is pending a physical exam and has not been confirmed by the club.
When completed, it is expected to be a one-year deal.
The implementation of a universal designated hitter as part of baseball’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement helped open at-bats in Milwaukee for a hitter like McCutchen, who could split time between DH and in an outfield mix that includes Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Renfroe and Tyrone Taylor. McCutchen started 131 games in left field for Philadelphia last season and could spell Yelich against certain left-handers, or help Taylor cover center in the event Cain needs time off or is injured during the final year of his five-year contract.
In his prime, McCutchen was one of the National League’s best all-around outfielders. He made the NL All-Star team in five straight seasons from 2011-15, and won four straight Silver Slugger Awards from 2012-15, while finishing in the top five in NL MVP Award balloting in each of those four years and winning the honor in ’13.
Since departing Pittsburgh after the 2017 season, McCutchen has played for the Giants, Yankees and Phillies. Last year in Philadelphia, he slashed .222/.334/.444 with 27 home runs and 80 RBIs.
McCutchen’s splits last season were lopsided. Against right-handed pitching, McCutchen slashed .186/.298/.352 in 379 plate appearances, but in 195 plate appearances against lefties, he slashed .293/.405/.622 with 15 homers.