House That Hank Built
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Atlanta Braves free agent profile: Andrew McCutchen

By Benjamin Chase

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 07: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park on July 7, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 07: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park on July 7, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 05: Andrew McCutchen #26 of the New York Yankees catches a ball hit by Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics in the fifth inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on September 5, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

After shoring up the infield and catching situation, the Atlanta Braves still have a need in the outfield. Could they pursue a former MVP?

The Atlanta Braves made two big moves on Monday, bringing in veterans Brian McCann and Josh Donaldson to the team for 2019, but when reviewing their needs, there is still a significant need for a bat in the outfield. Could former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen be a fit?

Player Profile

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Andrew McCutchen 11th overall in the 2005 draft out of high school in Florida. Multiple franchise icons were drafted ahead of McCutchen, with Justin Upton going first overall in that draft to Arizona, followed by Alex Gordon at #2, Ryan Zimmerman at #4, Ryan Braun at #5, and Troy Tulowitzki at #7.

McCutchen was able to immediately establish himself as a top prospect, hitting .310 in his draft year and ranking as the #50 overall prospect with Baseball America after the 2005 season. He jumped up in his first full season to AA and had an overall line of .294/.359/.450 with 17 home runs and 23 steals in 2006 at 19, earning him top prospect rankings of #13 with BA and #15 with Baseball Prospectus after that season.

Two more elite seasons in the upper minors left McCutchen as a top-50 consensus prospect, but his power seemed to disappear, with his slugging not going over .400 in either 2007 or 2008. He was up before 50 games in AAA in 2009, and he simply kept hitting once he got up to Pittsburgh, finishing 4th in Rookie of the Year voting that season behind Chris Coghlan, J.A. Happ, and Tommy Hanson (R.I.P.) as he hit .286/.365/.471 with 12 home runs and 22 steals.

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