Klentak: McCutchen Is a ‘Welcome Addition, Model Citizen, Great Teammate’

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Philadelphia Phillies position players are not expected in Clearwater, Florida, until the first full-squad workout on February 18, and yet, newly signed corner outfielder Andrew McCutchen is already taking swings donning Phillies red down in the Sunshine State.

McCutchen, 32, finalized a three-year, $50 million contract with a $15 million club option for 2022 in mid-December. Phillies Vice President and General Manager Matt Klentak said on MLB Network that McCutchen has been "one of the better players" in Major League Baseball "for the last decade or so."

"It’s really not limited to any one area. He can run, defend, hit, [and] take a walk. He’s got power. He can do a little bit of everything," Klentak said. "Maybe as important as any of those things, though, is the fact that this guy posts every single day. He routinely is playing 150-plus games, 600-plus plate appearances, and he has been rock solid his entire career."

Through 10 seasons, nine spent with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2009 to 2017, McCutchen has slashed .287/.378/.481 with 322 doubles, 47 triples, 223 home runs, 790 RBI and 780 walks spanning 1,501 games and 6,511 plate appearances.

Klentak said that after the Phillies traded with the Seattle Mariners to acquire Jean Segura — which also allowed Rhys Hoskins to return to first base through subtracting Carlos Santana — the club "set out" to add an outfielder.

"Andrew very quickly rose to the top of our list …  I think he could be a great fit on the field, and I think he’s going to be an even better fit off the field," Klentak said. "We have not heard anything but the best of praise for this guy from every teammate, coach, and front office person that he’s been around his whole career."

McCutchen is a one-time National League MVP, five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glove awards winner. In addition, McCutchen was recognized as the Pittsburgh Pirates Roberto Clemente Award winner in 2015, as well as the MLBPAA Pirates Heart and Hustle Award winner in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

"He just seems like a model citizen and a great teammate. I think the fans of Philadelphia are going to be really happy with him," Klentak said.

RELATED | Andrew McCutchen: Helping Phillies Win Championship Is ‘What It’s All About’

Klentak has been tasked this offseason to help the club improve to a 90-win-caliber team in 2019. The Phillies finished manager Gabe Kapler's first season at 80 wins and 82 losses, albeit finishing the year 17-34 after being 15 games over .500 on August 5. The Phillies general manager said he has "always been a big believer" that when developing a baseball, front office or scouting team, "you want to make sure that you incorporate balance into the way that you build a group."

"When it comes to a baseball team, I think you want to make sure you have some youth, [and] you want to make sure you have some veteran leadership," Klentak said. "You want to have a variety of different experiences, because I think that’s what makes good teams go."

The avenues in which Klentak has improved the Phillies thus far this offseason have surely been through a variety of means. Segura, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio were added through trade, and McCutchen and David Robertson through free agency. Super star free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain available; at least one of them is more likely than not to join the Phillies in 2019.

Klentak said he thinks McCutchen "brings an element" to the Phillies that they "may not have had in recent years."

"Obviously, his track record is incredible, but the way he conducts himself [and] posts his accountability, I think that that will be a welcome addition to our group," Klentak said.

He had such an elite peak for a few years with Pittsburgh – when he was winning the MVP and finishing in the top five I think four years in a row – that there’s a perception that he’s really fallen off. While he may not be the same player that he was when he was a MVP in Pittsburgh, this guy has still been a very consistent and well above-average player.

I think when you look at baseball history at players who have skillsets that are similar to Andrew McCutchen’s, those players tend to age pretty well. On top of that, when you have a player with this type of work ethic and off-the-field track record, you become even more confident that he’s going to age as well as he possibly can.

Among qualified batters last season, McCutchen had the 16th-lowest swing percentage, 39.8 percent. Rhys Hoskins posted the 10th-lowest (39.1 percent), while Cesar Hernandez posted the seventh-lowest (37.6 percent).

"The fact that he takes as many pitches as he does and has about a discerning eye at the plate as any player in baseball, that’s a big part of it," Klentak said. "That allows him to excel at the plate, even as some other skills may erode as he gets older."

"I think he’s always going to give you a competitive at-bat. That plays a big part in it."

While not officially announced, McCutchen is expected to assume the left field everyday role. Harper, if signed, would slot in at right field with likely either Odubel Herrera or Roman Quinn in center.