Andrew McCutchen seeks contract extension with Pittsburgh Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Pirates MVP Andrew McCutchen is locked up for two more seasons in a contract that will pay him more than $51 million, with a club option for a third.

But once again, in spring training, talk is surfacing about making McCutchen a “Pirate for life.”McCutchen’s salary in 2016 will be $13.2 million. That might sound like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the price tags for elite players in Major League Baseball.

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Pirates owner Bob Nutting said that will need to be addressed among the owners in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. Nutting said every owner got the chance to have a say at the recent owners’ meetings, so Nutting has faith in the process.

Bill Phillips sat down with McCutchen on Wednesday to talk about the season and his contract. He told Phillips that he is open to a contract extension.

“I would love to have to not worry about where I’m going to end up or where else am I going to go. I want to create history here,” McCutchen said.

But if the fans are worried about the contract being a distraction for McCutchen or the Pirates, McCutchen put that to rest quickly.

“I don’t worry about any of that right now. I’m just going out there and doing my job,” he said.

Nutting said he’s also open to extending McCutchen’s contract.

“We are committed to try to find an opportunity. There’s no one who we would like to have for a career in a Pirates uniform more than Andrew,” Nutting said.

WPXI