Pittsburgh Pirates Changing of the Guard with Starling Marte to Center

Andrew McCutchen has been the face of the Pirates. The former-MVP and centerfielder had a rough 2016, and may now be finding a new home in the outfield.

Andrew McCutchen’s fall from grace continues in Pittsburgh. The one-time face of the franchise became the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason. Now he appears to be losing his home in the outfield.

Pittsburgh Pirates beat writer Bill Brink shared Starling Marte may be relieving McCutchen from his longtime centerfield duties. This comes after McCutchen seemed to lose a step last season.

The move makes sense. Marte has a better arm from the outfield. He had 17 assists from left field last season, and 33 over the past two seasons. He’s saved 73 runs since his rookie season. McCutchen has thrown out 28 total since 2012. McCutchen has never been prone to errors, but Marte’s range appeared better last year, especially in his small nine-game stint in centerfield.

It wouldn’t be a knock to an older player shifting and giving way to a speedier and younger player. McCutchen’s case is different, as this seemingly adds insult to a season filled with injury.

McCutchen is just four seasons removed from being the star figure on one of the better feel-good stories in MLB. The Pirates went 20 straight years without a winning season, and this young power hitting, speedster led the charge. Coming off a breakout 2012, McCutchen won MVP en route to a 94-win season for the Pirates. It was his third consecutive season as a member of the 20-20 club. During the 2014 season, he led the league in on base percentage (.410) and OPS (952).

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

The Pirates had themselves a verifiable superstar.

And then the wheels came off.

Last season, troubled by thumb and knee injuries, McCutchen played as if he had aged five years. He slashed a career-low .256/.336/.430 behind a career-worst 21.2 strikeout percentage. His speed looked diminished both in the outfield and on the base paths, as he swiped just six bases in 13 chances, the lowest output of his career.

This season Neal Huntington left the Winter Meetings without dumping the near-$29-million left on McCutchen’s contract. While he never seemingly gave a ringing endorsement, Huntington seemed content with McCutchen in his lineup.

He just won’t be the centerfielder anymore.

It’s a win-win situation. Marte is one of the premier players in the game. His defense is amongst the best in the game and he is a run scoring threat at the plate and on the bases. He is under 30 years old and under cost control until 2021. The back-to-back Gold Glove winner deserves to be the centerfielder.

McCutchen turned 30 just after the season concluded. He hasn’t suffered a major injury, he was simply dinged up by several small ones last season. There is no reason to think that he can’t bounce back if he is fully healthy. The Pirates simply won’t ignore that he lost a slight step, and playing a corner outfield position could be helpful to the Pirates and the rest of his career. He’s still Andrew McCutchen. His bad year last year was still a lot better than some player’s good years.

There is a changing of the guard in Pittsburgh, however they are fortunate. They are in the position to have the old guard and the new guard still function together. It may just be Marte’s turn to shine, but McCutchen could very well have plenty left in the tank.