The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that star centerfielder Andrew McCutchen will be making the move to right field this season.
The Pirates made the official announcement via social media, releasing this statement from Manager Clint Hurdle:
“After a detailed evaluation, various considerations and many conversations, we have discussed with each of our outfielders the defensive alignment that we will employ. That alignment will be Gregory in left field, Starling in center and Andrew in right. We believe this alignment will maximize our outfield production. Our men were very professional and respectful of the team and each other throughout the process and are selfless in helping us strengthen our team defensively.”
This announcement is not surprising as McCutchen’s declining defensive numbers last season indicated that a move was necessary. MLB’s Adam Berry went so far as to call McCutchen the “worst fielder in baseball this year (2016)” based on the 30 year-old’s defensive runs saved (minus-28) and ultimate zone rating (minus-17.6). His 2016 performance was more pronounced slide from his 2015 season, which was the point in which the 2013 NL MVP started to show a chink in his armor. We gave him C for his 2016 performance in our gradeout series and sports media has predicted the inevitable move since mid-2016.
Interesting Timing
While it was clear a move was going to happen, the timing of the announcement on the Pirates’ part may have been forced after Starling Marte apparently confirmed to MLBDominica yesterday that he would be manning centerfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017.
El OF @Starlingmart confirma que jugará en la pradera central para la próxima temporada por los Piratas de Pittsburgh. #MLBDominicana pic.twitter.com/AXerU0x2t9
— MLB Dominicana (@MLBDominicana) February 4, 2017
From a team perspective, this is good news. Marte stepped up into center on a number of occasions last season and there’s no doubt that his speed and rocket of an arm will benefit the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s comfortable in center and is obviously excited to step up to the job. The emotional fall-out of the change is yet to be seen. However, like Hurdle indicated, the Pirates outfield is comprised of professionals who are willing to do what they must for the greater good for the team. Stay tuned!
What do you think about the move? Let your voice be heard in our poll on Twitter (@pbcbreakdown):
Do you like the idea of Andrew McCutchen moving from CF to RF in 2017?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) February 5, 2017
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