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Andrew McCutchen Intends To Continue Playing In 2026

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Andrew McCutchen hopes to return for an 18th season in the big leagues. “I want to continue to play. I think I’m still capable of doing that,” the former MVP tells Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

McCutchen has spent the past three seasons playing on one-year deals with the Pirates. The franchise icon has previously suggested he plans to remain in Pittsburgh until he retires.

Asked by Mackey whether he still wants to be a Pirate, McCutchen replied that he “(wants) to win” and added that he needs to show he’s capable of playing well enough to be part of that. While the “(wants) to win” response will be viewed by some as a shot at an organization stumbling to yet another last-place finish, McCutchen concluded by saying he needs to “show that (he) was able to have a good year and still can play the following year and not (fill) in a spot.” Readers are encouraged to view Mackey’s post for the full scope of McCutchen’s comments.

In any case, it’d be a surprise if McCutchen were anywhere other than Pittsburgh next season. The Bucs have not considered trading him at either of the past two deadlines even though he could’ve helped a contender as a bench bat. If McCutchen actually had any interest in leaving the Pirates, they’d presumably have accommodated him in trying to arrange a trade to a playoff team.

The 38-year-old has a slightly below-average .239/.326/.370 slash line with 11 home runs through 437 plate appearances. His numbers have trended gradually down over the past three seasons. It’s not strong production for a full-time designated hitter. Yet he’s far from the biggest problem in a completely punchless lineup. The Pirates have had 17 different hitters take at least 50 trips to the plate. Not a single one has turned in an above-average offensive showing, as measured by wRC+.

Among the team’s position players, only Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales have been worth at least one win above replacement, according to FanGraphs. Baseball Reference WAR has impending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tommy Pham as the team’s two most valuable position players. It’s a bleak picture.

Even if McCutchen shouldn’t be an everyday designated hitter, the Pirates could surely find room for him on the roster. He told Mackey he still believes he’s capable of playing the outfield despite only starting seven games there this year. McCutchen has had a nice season against left-handed pitching (.282/.359/.398), so perhaps he’d fit best in a part-time DH/corner outfield role that allows whomever is managing the 2026 team to use him more selectively. McCutchen has signed for $5MM in each of the past three offseasons.

Vesting Options Update: Giolito, Polanco, Strahm

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The upcoming free agent class doesn’t feature a ton of players whose contracts contain vesting options. Marcus Stroman’s deal with the Yankees would’ve contained an $18MM player option had he reached 140 innings, but an early-season knee injury made that impossible. The Yanks released him earlier this month anyhow.

While Stroman’s option was a non-factor, a trio of players are closing in on their own vesting provisions.

  • Lucas Giolito, Red Sox RHP ($14MM club option converts to $19MM mutual option at 140 innings; $1.5MM buyout in either case)

Giolito is up to 106 2/3 innings across 19 starts. He needs another 33 1/3 frames to convert next season’s $14MM team option into a $19MM mutual provision. That’d allow him to decline his end and retest free agency as he heads into his age-31 campaign. He’d very likely do so and could command a three-plus year contract.

The righty’s season numbers aren’t exceptional. Giolito carries a 3.63 earned run average with a 19.6% strikeout percentage that is his lowest since his terrible 2018 campaign. He had a trio of blowups in his first seven appearances after missing all of last season to an internal brace surgery. He has been locked in over the past two-plus months. In his last 12 starts, Giolito carries a 2.34 ERA while averaging over six innings per appearance. His 20.4% strikeout rate still isn’t great, and he has benefitted from a .229 opponents average on balls in play, but he at least looks the part of a durable mid-rotation arm again.

Giolito has a good shot to reach 140 innings. He’d need to average a little under six innings per start over his next six appearances. If he stays healthy, he should take the ball at least seven times — which would give him leeway in case he has one bad outing in which he’s knocked out after two or three frames. Even a minimal injured list stint would take it off the table, though.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said over the weekend that the Sox had no intention of changing Giolito’s workload to keep him from vesting the option. No front office executive would publicly admit otherwise, of course, but there’s no reason to doubt Breslow in this case. The Red Sox are trying to secure a postseason berth. Even if they were out of contention, limiting a player’s workload so they could exercise an option to keep that player at a below-market rate wouldn’t make for an especially good relationship. If he gets to free agency, Giolito could take aim at something like the three-year deals secured by Luis Severino ($67MM with an opt-out after the second season) and Sean Manaea ($75MM with deferrals).

  • Jorge Polanco, Mariners DH/2B ($8MM mutual option converts to $6MM player option at 450 plate appearances, escalates to $8MM player option at 550 plate appearances; $750K buyout in either case)*

Polanco re-signed with Seattle last offseason on a somewhat complicated deal that reflected his health uncertainty coming off left knee surgery. The deal contains an $8MM mutual option which would vest into a $6MM player provision if Polanco reaches 450 plate appearances. Polanco has taken 395 trips to the dish. He’s 55 plate appearances from reaching the vesting mark, and he’d escalate the player option price back to $8MM if he tallies another 155 trips before season’s end.

Initially, the Mariners looked to have struck gold with that surprise re-signing. Polanco blasted nine home runs while hitting .384 through the end of April. Even with knee and side discomfort limiting him to early-season DH work, he looked rejuvenated. Polanco’s production completely tanked over the next two months, however. He had a huge July but is back to a .213/.275/.298 showing in 14 games this month.

Polanco has hit .209/.283/.344 across 315 plate appearances since the beginning of May. His season batting line (.245/.310/.439) is still above-average, but there have been significant peaks and valleys. Cole Young has taken over at second base. While Eugenio Suárez’s impending free agency leaves an opening at third base, Polanco hasn’t shown he’s healthy enough to play there regularly. There’s a good chance the Mariners would buy out their end of the option if it remains a mutual provision. Polanco only needs to start another 13 or 14 games to give himself more security.

That shouldn’t be a problem with 36 games remaining on the schedule. The M’s have sat him in each of their past two games against left-handed opponents, but he continues to play regularly versus righties. He’s highly unlikely to get all the way to 550 PA’s to push the player option to $8MM, but he should easily unlock the $6MM player option that’ll give him the unilateral decision whether to return to free agency.

* The vesting provision also requires that Polanco hasn’t suffered a lower body injury that’d prevent him from being ready for Opening Day 2026.

  • Matt Strahm, Phillies LHP ($5.5MM team option becomes guaranteed at $7.5MM at 60 innings)*

Strahm’s extension with the Phillies contained a $4.5MM club option for the 2026 season. The southpaw has already pushed that to $5.5MM and will escalate it to $6.5MM when he records two more outs. He’s 10 2/3 innings away from hitting the 60-inning threshold, at which point the price jumps to $7.5MM and becomes guaranteed.

In his case, it’s probably immaterial. Even if Strahm suffers a minor injury that keeps him from getting to 60 frames, the Phillies would probably exercise the option. Strahm is having another impressive season, working to a 3.10 ERA with six saves and 14 holds. His velocity has dropped a tick and he has lost a few points on his strikeout rate, but he has still punched out an above-average 27.7% of opponents. Strahm is one of Rob Thomson’s more trusted setup arms.

* The vesting provision also requires that Strahm pass a postseason physical.

Mariners To Activate Bryce Miller On Tuesday

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The Mariners are activating starter Bryce Miller from the injured list tomorrow, manager Dan Wilson tells reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer). He’ll go opposite NL Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sánchez in the second game of their series against the Phillies. While Miller has been out for over two months, Seattle never transferred him to the 60-day injured list. They’ll therefore only need to make an active roster transaction tomorrow.

Miller will take an MLB mound for the first time since June 6. He has been sidelined since then by elbow inflammation. The righty received a platelet-rich plasma injection and was able to rehab without anything more invasive. He has made a trio of rehab starts with Triple-A Tacoma this month. Miller got up to 5 2/3 innings and 76 pitches in his most recent appearance last Wednesday. He allowed a pair of runs on two hits and a walk while recording four strikeouts.

Perhaps more importantly, Miller’s velocity has looked sharp on the rehab assignment. He’s averaging 96.4 MPH on his fastball, more than two ticks higher than his early-season MLB work. Miller struggled over his first couple months, allowing 5.73 earned runs per nine while averaging fewer than five innings per start. His 18.1% strikeout rate was down more than six percentage points compared to last season. Miller was one of the better pitchers in MLB a year ago, taking the ball 31 times and working to a 2.94 ERA across 180 1/3 frames.

Miller will try to recapture last year’s form as the M’s battle the Astros for the AL West crown. Seattle is a game and a half back while holding a 3.5 game cushion on the Guardians in the Wild Card picture. They’ve dropped five of their past six but have been aided by Houston losing four of their last six games. Miller will step into the rotation in place of rookie righty Logan Evans, who went on the IL with his own elbow issue last week.

Cardinals Place Brendan Donovan On Injured List

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The Cardinals placed Brendan Donovan on the 10-day injured list before tonight’s game against the Marlins. He’s dealing with a left groin strain. The placement is retroactive to August 15, so he’ll be eligible to return in a week. José Fermín is up from Triple-A Memphis to provide infield insurance in the interim.

Donovan has dealt with a seemingly minor groin issue over the past week or so. He was out of the lineup for a couple games two weekends ago. He returned for the early part of last week but sat out the entire series against the Yankees last weekend. IL stints can be backdated by a maximum of three days. Rather than continuing to play shorthanded, the Cards elected to sideline Donovan to get an extra infielder on the roster.

The 28-year-old Donovan is hitting .279/.348/.402 across 476 plate appearances. He has connected on nine homers and 25 doubles with his usual plus contact skills. After hitting in the three hole for the early part of the season, he has worked at the top of the lineup going back to the middle of June. Lars Nootbaar is now operating as the leadoff hitter, at least against right-handed pitching, while Thomas Saggese is drawing into the lineup at second base.

St. Louis was swept by the Yankees and has dropped five in a row. They’ve failed to capitalize on the Mets’ skid and are now 5.5 games back in the Wild Card picture. It increasingly looks like the race for the National League’s last postseason spot will come down to New York and Cincinnati. The Cards were soft sellers at the trade deadline and are more focused on getting looks at young players in the season’s final six weeks. With Nolan Arenado uncertain to return this season, the Cards are giving everyday third base reps to Nolan Gorman. Saggese, a rookie, hasn’t hit since April and now carries a .252/.286/.338 line through 147 plate appearances on the season.

White Sox Option Sean Burke

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The White Sox announced today that right-hander Sean Burke has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Fellow righty Owen White has been recalled in a corresponding move. Per Scott Merkin of MLB.com, left-hander Martín Pérez will start Wednesday’s game.

Burke came into this season with just 19 big league innings under his belt. He broke camp with a job in the season-opening rotation and has held it until today. His results have generally been decent. He has made 24 appearances. Only 20 of those were technically starts, as he pitched behind an opener four times. He has logged 117 2/3 innings with a 4.28 earned run average. His 21.1% strikeout rate is just barely below league average for a starter this year. His 10.3% walk rate is more than two ticks worse than par.

Despite his generally cromulent performance, there are a few reasons the Sox are probably sending him down. Monitoring his workload is likely one of them. His highest innings total as a minor leaguer was 108, back in 2022. Shoulder troubles limited him to just 36 2/3 innings in 2023. Last year, between the majors and minors, he got to 90 2/3.

Here in 2025, he’s already shot past his personal high. It’s possible the Sox have already been dialing things back for him, as they haven’t let him go longer than five innings since July 2nd. He didn’t get through four innings in his most recent two outings. Optioning him down to the minors makes it easier to continue down that path.

On top of that, the Sox also recently welcomed Pérez back from the injured list. They also selected Yoendrys Gómez to the roster after getting him stretched out in the minors. Giving rotation spots to those two led to Jonathan Cannon and now Burke getting optioned out.

It also might not be a total coincidence that Burke is just shy of getting to one year of service time. He came into this season with 20 service days. By my count, he has added 144 days to that so far in 2025, bringing him to 164. A year rolls over at 172, so Burke is eight days away from that line.

It’s possible he could come back up as a September call-up and get over the one-year marker. If he does, then he would have a path to reaching six years of service and free agency after 2030. If not, the Sox will add an extra year of club control for themselves, as he wouldn’t be able to reach free agency until after 2031.

Photo courtesy of Denny Medley, Imagn Images

Poll: Can The Mets Hang On To A Playoff Spot?

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It’s been a rough few weeks for the Mets. While they managed to take two of three in their series against the Mariners this weekend, it was their first series win since they swept the Giants all the way back on the weekend of July 25. Since then, New York has gone just 4-14 and not only fallen five games back of the Phillies in the NL East, but is getting challenged by the insurgent Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot. Despite that brutal stretch of play in recent weeks, this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. While the club was at one point up 5.5 games in the division, that was nearly two months ago at this point. They’ve gone 21-34 since then, good for a .318 winning percentage that falls between the full-season figures posted by the White Sox (.355) and Rockies (.282).

That makes the final six weeks of the regular season more important for the Mets than their fans could’ve imagined during their strong first half. The question for the Mets is less about the possibility of an NL East title and a bye through the Wild Card round at this point, and more about if they’ll be able to squeak into the postseason at all. The club attempted to break into what, at the time, looked to be a fairly wide-open race for a bye to the NLDS when they made a number of aggressive, buy-side trades in the run-up to the trade deadline.

Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto joined Edwin Diaz at the back of what was expected to become the most fearsome bullpen in the league, and Cedric Mullins was brought in to plug the one hole on the team’s roster. The results of those trades have been mixed to this point, Soto (8 1/3 scoreless innings) and Rogers (1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings) have both excelled to this point, but Helsley has struggled to an ugly 7.11 ERA in eight appearances for the Mets so far, with four additional unearned runs allowed as well. Meanwhile, Mullins has a paltry .255 on-base percentage with a 29.1% strikeout rate since arriving in the Big Apple.

Perhaps the failings of Helsley and Mullins in their first few games with the team could be overlooked if the rest of the team was performing better, but the club’s internal core hasn’t exactly impressed lately either. Only six teams in baseball have scored fewer runs than the Mets since June 13, and while the offense has picked things up in recent weeks (124 wRC+ in August) their run prevention has taken a nosedive. Only four teams (Marlins, Pirates, Nationals, and Rockies) have allowed more runs to score than the Mets since the start of August, and the decision not to bring in a starter at the deadline is looking particularly disastrous given the club’s rotation has put together a brutal 6.23 ERA in the weeks following the end of trade season.

Bleak as things have looked in recent weeks, however, that shouldn’t be taken to mean there’s no reason for optimism. After all, the Mets are still in playoff position even after all of those struggles. Only Cincinnati has a record above .500 among NL clubs not currently in playoff position, meaning the Mets are in a much more comfortable spot than they would be if they were in the AL, where teams like the Royals and Guardians are sticking around the periphery of the Wild Card race with solid records. While the Reds (36-30 since the start of June) have looked good lately thanks to a fantastic rotation, their offense hasn’t looked especially threatening at any point in the year. Mets superstars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are both firing on all cylinders offensively in recent weeks, by contrast, and that could help stave off Cincinnati unless the Reds’ bats get going.

Even if the Reds stick around in the race long-term, it’s at least possible that another team in the NL playoff picture could start to struggle. The Cubs have scored the fewest runs in baseball since July 1 after starting the year as an offensive juggernaut. With pitchers like Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd reaching uncharted territory in terms of workload and a big series against Milwaukee this week, their currently stable position in the NL playoff picture could look much less secure in a hurry. The Phillies, meanwhile, lost Zack Wheeler for an uncertain amount of time over the weekend. While Aaron Nola returned from the shelf to replace him in the rotation, his first start back (six earned runs surrendered in 2 1/3 innings to the lowly Nationals) didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

How do MLBTR readers view the Mets’ hopes of making a second consecutive postseason appearance this year? Will they be able to hold on despite their recent struggles, or will the rest of the NL playoff field manage to push them out? Have your say in the poll below:

Tigers Reinstate Alex Lange From 60-Day Injured List

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The Tigers announced that right-hander Alex Lange has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Bailey Horn has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full.

It’s been quite an odyssey for Lange in recent years. He took over the closer’s role in Detroit in 2023, recording 26 saves that year. He tossed 66 innings with a 3.68 earned run average. His 15.6% walk rate was awful but he struck out 27.4% of batters faced while getting grounders on 50.6% of balls in play.

His results backed up early in 2024. He started the season with a 4.34 ERA through 18 2/3 innings. His 23.3% strikeout rate, 18.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate all moved in the wrong direction relative to the year before.

The Tigers optioned him to the minors in late May. He injured himself a few weeks later, requiring lat surgery in mid-June. The Tigers didn’t announce an expected recovery timeline but it has taken Lange 14 months to get back to the majors. They put him on the major league 60-day IL when they signed John Brebbia back in February.

Now Lange finally gets a chance to get things back on track after all those challenges. For what it’s worth, his recent rehab numbers have been similar to his previous performance. He tossed 13 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.73 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 13% walk rate and 62.1% ground ball rate.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Astros Select Tayler Scott, Designate Jordan Weems For Assignment

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The Astros have selected righty Tayler Scott to the roster, with fellow righty Jordan Weems designated for assignment. Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle was among those to relay the moves.

Weems was just selected to Houston’s roster a few days ago. Since then, he has made two appearances for the club. The first one went fine, as he tossed a scoreless inning against the Orioles on Friday. The Astros put him back on the mound yesterday, which led to a far worse outing. They were already losing 7-0 to the O’s through seven innings when they sent Weems in there. He faced seven batters but only retired one of them, surrendering three walks and three hits. Five runs came around to score as the club eventually lost 12-0.

The Astros used six pitchers, plus a mop-up inning from Chas McCormick, by the time that game was done. They have brought up a fresh arm today and bumped out Weems. Since he is out of options, he’s been bumped off the 40-man entirely.

With the trade deadline having passed, Weems will have to be placed on waivers. He was sent through waivers unclaimed in July. His recent performance presumably didn’t raise his stock much, so he might do so again. The last time he cleared waivers, he elected free agency and re-signed with the Astros on a new minor league deal. It’s possible the same sequence of events plays out again in the coming days.

As for Scott, he is also out of options and has been a fringe bullpen arm this year. He opened the year with the Astros but struggled and lost his roster spot. He ended up with the Diamondbacks for a spell but lost his spot with that club as well. That led him back to the Astros on a minor league deal about six weeks ago. Since then, he has tossed 11 Triple-A innings with a 4.91 earned run average.

It hasn’t been amazing year overall for Scott, as he has a 6.66 ERA in his 25 2/3 major league innings. However, he was much better in 2024, with a 2.23 ERA. He got some help from a .230 batting average on balls in play and 84.9% strand rate but his 4.13 FIP and 4.80 SIERA were still better than what he’s managed to do here in 2025. Due to his aforementioned out-of-options status, his grip on a roster spot could be tenuous, but he’ll give Houston a fresh arm and try to make the most of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images

Phillies Place Zack Wheeler On Injured List With Blood Clot

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August 18: The Phils announced today that Wheeler “underwent a successful thrombolysis procedure to remove a blood clot in his right upper extremity this morning by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Further treatment and a subsequent timeline of recovery for Wheeler is to be determined.”

August 16: The Phillies announced that Zack Wheeler has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right upper extremity blood clot. According to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, the clot is near his throwing shoulder. The team has not announced a timetable for his return.

Philadelphia will activate Aaron Nola from the 60-day IL tomorrow. He’s listed as the probable starter for their series finale in Washington. They initially intended to go with a six-man rotation. Instead, Nola will take Wheeler’s spot in a five-man staff that also includes Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker. They’ll still need to open a 40-man roster spot for Nola and make an active roster transaction to clear space for Alec Bohm, who is expected back from a 10-day IL stint tomorrow.

The immediate roster considerations take a back seat to concern about Wheeler’s future. The Phils should be able to withstand a short-term absence, at least with regard to the division. They’ve built a five-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. Their hold on the #2 seed in the National League and the associated first-round bye is tenuous. They’re only half a game up on the Dodgers and Padres, who enter play Saturday night tied for the NL West lead. (San Diego and L.A. are playing one another, so one of them will tie Philly this evening.) The scorching hot Brewers have pulled well ahead of the pack for the NL’s top seed.

If this requires a longer-term absence, it’d obviously be a massive blow. Wheeler remains on the short list for the title of MLB’s best pitcher. He has a 2.71 earned run average and leads the majors with 195 strikeouts. He’s averaging more than six innings per start. This will probably be Wheeler’s second consecutive sub-3.00 ERA showing and his fifth time allowing fewer than three earned runs per nine over his six seasons in Philadelphia. Wheeler has been exceptionally durable. This is just his second IL stint as a Phillie, with the other being a month-long absence due to forearm tendinitis in 2022.

A healthy Wheeler would be Philadelphia’s Game 1 starter. There’s no indication that the team is concerned about his playoff availability, but a blood clot comes with a level of uncertainty. The Phillies will presumably provide more specifics in the next few days.

Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: Today, 2pm CT

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Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! I'll get going at 2pm CT, but feel free to send in questions ahead of time, as usual.
  • Greetings!
  • Let's begin

RAGBRAI

  • Does Gallen get a QO from AZ and if so does he take it? What would he get on the open market with a respectable ROS?

Steve Adams

  • They'll give him a QO. His decision probably hinges somewhat on how he finishes, though I expect him to decline it. Gallen feels like he's going to be the next relatively high-profile starting pitcher/Boras client to sign a two-year deal with an opt-out. If he finishes poorly enough, maybe he accepts or (more surprisingly) doesn't get a QO. But I think if the D-backs saw any real scenario where they wouldn't give him the qualifying offer, he'd have been traded in July.
  • Obviously, a major injury changes that calculus, but short of that, I'd be surprised if he doesn't get one.
  • If he accepts that, it's not the end of the world. They paid Jordan Montgomery $22MM not to throw a pitch for them in 2025. A similarly priced gamble on a Gallen rebound isn't a terrible bet.

Brad

  • How many major league free agent contracts have surplus value? I feel like the percentage is much lower than you think.

Steve Adams

  • By definition, very few of them are going to provide surplus value. Free agency is an auction, and most teams tap out of the bidding because they feel the price has exceeded the player's value. On some one-year deals or some mid-range free agent deals, you can find some bargains, but it's only natural for the weightier free-agent deals to come in to provide minimal surplus value -- if any at all.

JM

  • Why can a player stay under club control after he's released and granted free agency? For instance (if reports are correct), Nathaniel Lowe is a free agent and will sign today with the Red Sox, after the Nats DFAed and released him upon clearing waivers. But those same reports say the Sox will have a final arb year of club control in 2026 (though likely non-tender him anyway). Once a free agent (after a release or a non-tender), not always a free agent?

 

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