In the weeks since non-tendering Cody Bellinger, who went on to sign with the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Andrew McCutchen, Kevin Kiermaier and more outfielders as they look to fill a void.
Although McCutchen is no longer a traditional center fielder, the Dodgers potentially signing the veteran would have added more depth to that position group and allowed for Chris Taylor or Trayce Thompson to more regularly play up the middle.
More recently, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets were said to be among the teams with interest in McCutchen as well.
According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , McCutchen is signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year, $5 million contract:
Source: Andrew McCutchen's Pirates contract will be $5 million once everything is finalized.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) January 13, 2023
Even at 36 years old, McCutchen remained one of the better right-handed hitting outfielders still available in free agency. He spent last season with the Milwaukee Brewers, batting .237/.316/.384 with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 69 RBI over 134 games.
The former All-Star has primarily played left field since getting traded by the Pirates. After spending three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2019-2021, McCutchen signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Brewers last March.
During his first stint with the Pirates, McCutchen helped lead them to three consecutive postseason appearances from 2013-2015. The Pirates selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft.
Andrew McCutchen signing; will Dodgers trade for an outfielder?
After making a strong push to sign Kiermaier before he joined the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers appear more likely to trade for an outfielder than add one via free agency.
They are said to have held Bryan Reynolds trade talks with the Pirates, who reportedly are seeking a significant return for their All-Star center fielder.
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Alek Thomas, St. Louis Cardinals’ Dylan Carlson and Seattle Mariners’ Jarred Kelenic are believed to be Dodgers trade candidates as well.
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