The Pirates signed Andrew McCutchen to a long-term contract:

The Pirates and star center fielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to terms on a six-year contract worth $51.5 million with a club option for 2018 worth $14.75 million, according to a source.

The contract will buy out McCutchen’s remaining arbitration seasons and at least two years of free agency.

McCutchen, 25, is one of the best center fielders in the National League. He earned a spot on the NL All-Star team in 2011 and hit .259 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs last season.

The Pirates buy out Andrew’s prime plus, and note that this is his age 25 season. In his first three seasons, Baseball-Reference has his bWAR at 2.9, 4.0, and 5.5. FanGraphs puts it at 3.5, 3.7, and 5.7. If we average the two, we get 3.2, 3.8 and 5.6, which is great for a player already in his prime. If McCutchen averages 4.0 WAR over the next two seasons, he’ll pretty much pay for the contract.

Where Have you Gone, Andy Van Slyke is very excited about the move, as is FanGraphs. This was the type of deal the Indians made in the early 1990s that led to their domination of the second half of that decade. Signings like these not only control costs, but free up money to spend on other needs.