Deep inside Bob Nightengale’s USA Today article making his case for Gary Sheffield to be a Hall of Famer is a little bit of Pirates news:
The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to retain outfielder Andrew McCutchen by signing him to a one-year deal for about $5 million this week.
This is coming just days after Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette first reported that something should be expected this coming week.
While starting pitching remains a priority, the Pirates are close to another offseason goal as it relates to the return of Andrew McCutchen, sources told the Post-Gazette this week.
Talks have heated up in recent days and will likely be completed by the early part of next week, sources said. Barring anything unforeseen when it comes to McCutchen’s health, the 37-year-old will sign on for a 16th major league season, his 11th in Pittsburgh.
There is certainly a lot of smoke here, so I’m expecting an announcement within the next couple days. This was a pretty easy decision both in terms of Cutch being the franchise’s biggest star over the better part of a decade, but also because he put together quite a resurgence last season posting a 112 wRC+ over 112 games while serving as the club’s primary DH.
McCutchen will return to Pittsburgh as a 37-year old. It remains to be seen what that will look like after he sustained a season-ending achilles injury last September, but McCutchen finishing his career wearing anything except black and gold wouldn’t have sat well with me, and a lot of fans.
It’s good to see that something is imminent, and Pirates fans will once again be able to see #22 at PNC Park.
North Shore Nine 
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