Pirates GM: 'We truly hope Andrew McCutchen retires as a Pirate'

When the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Fort Meade High Schooler Andrew McCutchen 11th overall in 2005, they may not have known it then, but they acquired a franchise-altering piece to the puzzle. 

Nine years later and on the heels of his first National League MVP award, McCutchen is gearing up for his fourth straight All-Star appearance as the man with the signature dreads has brought the Pirates back into relevancy.  

“He's certainly our most valuable player,” general manager Neal Huntington told Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.   

There's no denying that, since breaking into the league in 2009, McCutchen has posted a career .299/.385/.498 line with 120 home runs, 440 RBI and 140 stolen bases in 826 games. His MVP season in 2013 was a result of hitting .317/.404/.508 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI and 27 stolen bases - all numbers he's on pace to eclipse this year. 

What's good news for the Pirates is that McCutchen appears committed, as evidenced by the six-year, $51.5 million extension he signed in 2012 - a bargain for any team, especially one with a budget. 

“I'd do what I did. I made that decision for a reason,” McCutchen said. “It's plenty of money. I'm not going to spend it all. It's more than enough. I'm going be here for some time. That's two things I don't worry about. I wasn't pressured (by the union). … Ultimately it's (the player's) decision. People can say, ‘Don't do it.' Ultimately, it's up the player. They are living it.”

Huntington acknowledged that paying a perennial MVP-caliber player an average of $11 million per season over the next four years is integral to the Pirates' success, as it allows them the financial flexibility to build around the 27-year-old who's hitting .325/.422/.573 this season. 

“That we have the opportunity to keep him through three years of free agency and hopefully beyond, is (critical),” Huntington said. “To have the ability to build around him is incredibly advantageous for any market but particularly a small market.

“We truly hope Andrew McCutchen retires as a Pirate. That is going to be incredibly challenging to do, but that is our long-term goal. The contracts are always a challenge. If a player gets hurt or under-performs, there is no recourse for the club, but when the player drastically out-performs the contract, there is a lot of heat and attention. ‘Why don't you extend him longer?' I'm sure there will come a point in time for us to revisit it as it will with other players we signed to multi-year deals.”

For a team who tasted playoff baseball - briefly, mind you - in 2013 for the first time in 20 seasons, the Pirates are hoping to continue their rise from perpetual bottom-feeders and with a centerpiece like McCutchen patrolling the center of the outfield, Pittsburgh look to continue to be a perennial playoff contender.  

“Our true hope is to never be in a rebuild,” Huntington said. “Our marching orders from ownership are to be a consistent championship-caliber organization. When you have a guy like Andrew McCutchen, you build around him. You do everything in your power to build around him, and that's what we've worked to do.”