The days of “Andrew McCutchen The Superstar” are long since gone. He hasn’t been worth more than 3.0 WAR in a season since 2017, and he just wrapped up his age-37 campaign in Pittsburgh last season. And yet, he’s kinda still cooking. In 2023, McCutchen walked 15.9% of the time, struck out at just 21.1% clip, and posted a 114 wRC+ with 12 homers, 11 stolen bases, and a .378 OBP. Last season, McCutchen’s overall production slipped to 105 wRC+, but he hit 20 homers in 120 games. And he’s not done yet.

Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates Give it Another Go

Just now, in a statement released on X, the Pirates announced that they had re-signed Andrew McCutchen. The terms aren’t out there yet, but the official MLB account did call it a one-year deal for what it’s worth (and that’s what you should expect anyway). I’ll update this post when we know more (UPDATE: One year, $5 million)

And you know what? I’m happy about it. The Pirates may be in the Cubs division and they may be an up-and-coming team led by some very formidable starting pitching … But Andrew McCutchen belongs on the Pirates. That just makes me happy. I’m a Cubs fan first, but a baseball fan second. And baseball is better when McCutchen is in Pittsburgh. He means a lot to that team and city and I like when players stick around. Except Kyle Tucker, he was right to get out of Houston and he should definitely spend the rest of his career with the Cubs. That’s your new home now, bub.

I’m not sure exactly what to expect out of Andrew McCutchen next season, but Steamer is projecting a 102 wRC+ with 17 HRs, so they still forecast a useful player. The market is humming before Christmas, eh?

Among the several things that need to happen for the Cincinnati Bengals to defy the odds and make the NFL playoffs: Cincinnati needs to beat Denver on Saturday in Week 17, and the Bengals also need the Broncos to lose their Week 18 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs haven’t clinched the top seed in the AFC, but they can do so with a win or a Buffalo loss. The Chiefs’ Week 17 game is against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.

The Chiefs won’t have anything to play for in Week 18 if they win in Pittsburgh, and likely would be inclined to rest their starters. That would not be a favorable scenario for a Bengals’ team rooting against Denver.

The Chiefs won’t rest their starters if the top seed remains in play in Week 18.

NFL.com estimates the Bengals’ playoff probability at 8 percent.

The Bengals also need the Miami Dolphins to lose to the Browns in Cleveland or the Jets in New York. And Cincinnati needs the Indianapolis Colts to lose to the Giants in New York or at home against Jacksonville.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker Tyler Matakevich suffered a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens and would have missed practice on Sunday, the team estimated on their Sunday injury report.

Matakevich missed multiple games with a hamstring injury earlier this season but has returned and become a core part of the special teams room. If he can not play, the Steelers have inside linebacker Devin Harper on the practice squad, or they could turn to someone else, like Jonathan Ward, to encapsulate what Matakevich does on special teams.

Matakevich plays on all units, including both coverage teams. The Steelers re-signed him this offseason from the Buffalo Bills to help bolster their special teams units with the new NFL kickoff rules. He has four tackles in nine games for the team on those units.

With just four days until the Steelers face the Kansas City Chiefs, any new injuries will have a tough time healing before that game, and it seems likely that those players will have to sit or play through the injury on short rest.

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