Andrew McCutchen's $15M Contract Option for 2022 Season Declined by Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies declined their $15 million club option on outfielder Andrew McCutchen on Wednesday.   

The 35-year-old originally signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Phillies before the 2019 season that gave them an option of bringing him back for $15 million in 2022 or paying a $3 million buyout.

The 2013 NL MVP missed 103 games in his first season in Philadelphia after suffering a torn ACL before two solid-but-unspectacular campaigns in 2020 and 2021. He hit .222/.334/.444 with 27 home runs and 80 runs batted in while making 144 appearances this past season.

While he's a long way away from his MVP heights, McCutchen is still a solid enough outfielder who will likely command interest from a number of teams on the open market.

The $15 million mark may be a little high at this juncture of his career, and the Phillies determined they weren't willing to pay that price at this time.