Andrew McCutchen to Oakland Unlikely, But Necessary

The A's have said they're looking to add more pieces, and veteran Andrew McCutchen could do wonders with the A's young roster

Andrew McCutchen is about to enter his age 36 season and is currently sitting on the free agent market. The A's have had a knack for bringing in veterans in the past, think Frank Thomas, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, and Mike Piazza, and if Cutch is still unsigned in just a few weeks, that would fit the A's timeframe for when they like to start really making their free agent signings. 

A lot of this speculation would have to do with what kinds of offers McCutchen is fielding, and what he wants to do towards the end of his career. If an elusive championship is what he wants, then the A's probably aren't going to be the team for him. If he is up for a mentor role that can give him playing time, enter the A's. 

After this week's trade of Sean Murphy that brought in Esteury Ruiz, the A's are putting a lot of stock into Ruiz being able to learn center field and be the player he showed last season in the minors. They also have Cristian Pache, who is out of options heading into 2023, that could use some guidance. 

The A's have coaches, but getting advice from Andrew McCutchen would hit on a different level. When Ruiz and Pache were entering their teens, Cutch was winning the NL MVP. He also ranked in the 92nd percentile in chase rate last season, and any nuggets of wisdom he could pass along on that front to a group of eager young guys would be well worth his salary for 2023, since those words could impact a player's entire career trajectory. 

His time with the A's wouldn't purely be to act as a coach, however. Last season he also was roughly league average, holding a 99 OPS+ with the Brewers while batting .237 with a .316 OBP and 17 home runs. Conner Capel had a 194 wRC+ in 13 games and Seth Brown had a 117, but those are the only two members of the 2022 A's that are still with the team that had a better bat than McCutchen, so he would be a clear upgrade. 

There is a report that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays have interest in the former MVP, so if he wants to win, that may be his best route. But he's also been around long enough to know how the A's operate, and that if he plays well--and he'd get the opportunity to--he could very well find himself on a contender by the end of July anyway. 

Bringing McCutchen to Oakland may not be a likely scenario, but they could certainly benefit from having him around to provide a boost to the lineup, be a resource for the young outfielders, and just be the affable player he is.