Andrew McCutchen heads back to Pirates as Mets miss out

Andrew McCutchen will not be a Met in 2023.

McCutchen is headed back to the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year deal, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

The Mets had expressed interest in bringing McCutchen in to be a depth outfielder, The Post reported, but it was not meant to be. Instead, the former National League MVP will be headed back to the team that drafted him.

Pittsburgh selected McCutchen in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft, and he spent nine seasons with the big league club, garnering five straight All-Star nods from 2011 to 2015. His last season in Pittsburgh was in 2017, and he has since spent time with the Giants, Yankees, Phillies and Brewers.

McCutchen, now 36, is not the same player he once was, having posted a career-low .700 OPS in 2022 with Milwaukee. However, he is still a decent hitter and can flash the glove in the outfield.

The Mets have Brandon Nimmo, Mark Canha and Starling Marte on the roster, but are still looking for a fourth outfielder and potentially a hitter who can occasionally pick up DH duties.