Dodgers Rumors: LA Exploring Signing Andrew McCutchen

The Dodgers’ outfield state of affairs for 2023 remains unclear, and ESPN’s Buster Olney has thrown an attention-grabbing title on the market for followers to think about. After jettisoning one former MVP from their outfield, may L.A. add a distinct one?

The Dodgers and Rays have curiosity in former MVP Andrew McCutchen, who’s 52 hits away from 2,000 for his profession, and 13 homers away from 300.

McCutchen was on a straightforward Corridor of Fame trajectory early in his profession, averaging practically 5.4 WAR per 12 months throughout his first seven seasons. In that point, he made 5 All-Star groups and had 4 straight top-five MVP finishes, together with successful the award in 2013.

Beginning in 2016, although, McCutchen’s profession form of fell off a cliff. After a 144 OPS+ his first seven seasons — roughly equal to the profession marks of Albert Pujols and Mike Piazza — he posted a 104 in 2016 and simply 111 in 2016-22 mixed (which is extra like Wil Myers and David Peralta territory). He’s additionally gone from being a strong center-fielder to a mediocre left-fielder, an enormous defensive drop-off. Total, after posting 37.7 WAR throughout his first seven seasons, he’s at 9.3 within the seven seasons since then.

McCutchen had only a 99 OPS+ in 2022, and whereas he was higher in opposition to lefties than righties, he wasn’t practically the lefty masher he was earlier in his profession. Realistically, the principle factor McCutchen would deliver to the desk could be Veteran Presence, which the Dodgers actually solely want if they really cut ties with Justin Turner and new minor-league signee Jason Heyward doesn’t make the membership out of spring coaching.

Olney’s report really got here earlier than L.A. signed Heyward, so perhaps it’s a moot level now in the event that they have been contemplating them for related roles. However it’s form of laborious to see both of them actually becoming on a 26-man roster. If rosters have been at 28 with a restrict of 13 pitchers, guys like McCutchen and Heyward would nonetheless make sense; as it’s, they in all probability aren’t a part of the four-man bench for a group that hopes to win the World Sequence.

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