Veteran Pirates slugger could retire after 2024 season, per insider

The Pittsburgh Pirates are out of contention and likely to fall short of the postseason for the ninth consecutive season.

The team is 65-73 and sits at the bottom of the National League Central, as well as 10 games back in the Wild Card race.

One saving grace for the Pirates has been Andrew McCutchen, who returned to the team last year and remains a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. However, his time in Major League Baseball might be coming to an end.

Will Leitch of MLB.com listed the veteran slugger as somebody who could possibly retire at the end of the 2024 season.

"McCutchen is the active leader in games played and one of the most beloved players in the sports," Leitch wrote. "It has been downright gorgeous to see him back in a Pirates uniform for the past two seasons, and if he wanted to continue signing a series of one-year contracts with the team until he was in his 70s, I don't think that many people would have a big problem with it."

The 37-year-old slugger has played the vast majority of his career with the Pirates. He made brief stops with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers in between his two stints in Pittsburgh.

McCutchen still remains a productive player as well, even in his advanced age. His .237 batting average leaves a lot to be desired, but he has gone deep 18 times, has 46 RBI, and a .752 OPS.

But it is always possible that the end could be near for the veteran slugger. He has been in the league since 2009 and has been one of the game's best run producers since making his Major League debut.

It will be interesting to see if he'll return to the Pirates on another one-year deal or decide to hang up his spikes after the season is over.

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