It made a lot of sense on paper for the Pirates to bring back Andrew McCutchen. And it turns out, this is something Ben Cherington had in mind much earlier in the offseason.
Now that the dream for all parties involved has become a reality, where exactly does McCutchen fit on the 2023 roster?
McCutchen isn't the MVP-caliber player he was a decade ago. Fortunately the Pirates don't need him to be and aren't relying on him for that type of production. All hope of returning to contention for the first time since 2015 hinges on the young core the club's been building since Cherington was hired.