Pirates pick up McCutchen's $14.5 million option for 2018

The Pirates have picked up their option on former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for the 2018 season, the team announced Friday.

The move was not unexpected. The team now owes McCutchen $14.5 million guaranteed. If they had declined the option, they would have paid him $1 million and he would have been an unrestricted free agent.

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Picking up the option does not necessarily mean the star outfielder will play in Pittsburgh next season. The club openly shopped McCutchen, 31, last offseason before deciding to keep him in black and gold.

He responded with a .279/.363/.486 hitting performance in 156 games, numbers slightly below his career averages, along with 28 home runs and 88 RBI.

If he plays with the Pirates in 2018, it will mark his 10th season with the team, which drafted him 11th overall in 2005.

Cox Media Group