Pirates GM Ben Cherington weighs offseason decisions on Andrew McCutchen, Oneil Cruz

As the Pittsburgh Pirates crawl toward the conclusion of their season, Ben Cherington already has an eye toward the offseason and important decisions involving two of their most prominent players.

The Pirates general manager was pressed Wednesday about the team’s plans for shortstop Oneil Cruz and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, a pair of players who suffered season-ending injuries.

Where McCutchen signed a one-year, $5 million contract in January and has expressed a desire to return to the Pirates next season — and team chairman Bob Nutting appears on board — Cherington said it’s a conversation they will have when the season ends.

“We have so much respect for Cutch,” Cherington said. “We signed him last offseason, first and foremost — and this really was the core of the conversation between him and I — because we thought he could help us be a better baseball team. And I think that that still should guide our discussions.”

McCutchen, who turns 37 on Oct. 10, suffered a partial tear in his left Achilles tendon Sept. 4. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said McCutchen is scheduled to see ankle and foot specialist Dr. James Sferra this week.

“We have incredible respect for him, on the field, off the field, what he’s meant,” Cherington said. “We believe that the injury he’s recovering from right now should not get in the way of him being a good baseball player next year and being someone who can help us, and we’ve agreed that we’ll pick that conversation up when the season is over.”

McCutchen batted .256/.378/.397 with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBIs, leading the Pirates in on-base percentage and walks (75) and reaching career milestones by surpassing 2,000 hits, 1,000 walks and 400 doubles. He remains one shy of 300 home runs.

Cherington said McCutchen “absolutely” made the Pirates better, and they continue to miss his presence in the middle of the batting order. The reception for McCutchen’s return five years after the five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP was traded also could influence the decision.

“It’s helped us, and I don’t see any particular reason why that can’t continue,” Cherington said. “I know what the reaction felt like when we signed him last offseason. I know what it felt like to hear that crowd on his first day back here and really the reaction to him throughout the season. Every time he came up to the plate it was kind of a different sound than (when) some other guys come up to the plate, so I think in that sense it’s obvious to all of us that it means something and hopefully there’s a lot more good moments out there with him.”

The Pirates also are considering how to handle Cruz’s return from surgery to repair a fractured left ankle, though they ended any hopes of him playing again this season Tuesday. The 6-foot-7 Cruz has resumed a running program, which Tomczyk said now includes curved surfaces like the infield, and is hitting and throwing again.

“He’s worked really hard, just ran out of time to get it done during the major-league regular season,” Cherington said. “But he’s making progress, confident in what the future holds for him. We’ll see as we get further into the baseball skill progression, if it makes sense to try and create some competition somewhere for him after the major-league regular season’s over.”

How and where are still to be determined, which could be complicated.

The Pirates could persuade Cruz to train at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., under the watch of their coaches, trainers and medical staff and get him involved in simulated games with prospects. They could encourage him to play in the Arizona Fall League, given he played only nine games and spent the majority of the season on the injured list. Or they could allow him to play winter ball for Tigres del Licey in his native Dominican Republic, where their control would be reduced.

“Most of the time, it’s just a direct conversation with the player and coming to an agreement with the player about what’s best — what we collectively feel is best,” Cherington said. “It’s just a case-by-case basis. … In Oneil’s case we are not worried about that because Oneil is going to be focused on what is best for him. … I’m confident wherever that lands, it will be an agreement we come together. I don’t see that being any issue with him. He just wants to be in the best spot going into spring training.”