Pittsburgh Pirates most popular player Andrew McCutchen was recently moved to right field and according to McCutcheon, the Pirates didn’t exactly ask the 8-year veteran about the move prior to making the decision to make the move.

“It wasn’t an ‘ask,'” McCutchen said Friday morning (h/t ESPN). “It was more of a ‘say.’ It was, ‘I have to move there.'”

“That was one of the first times that that was something I wanted to go against,” McCutchen said.

“It wasn’t something I was ready for or I wanted to do. But as I keep saying that, I’m talking about myself. So I just had to not be as selfish and just accept that that’s what I had to do and move over to right.”

McCutchen has played only one game in right, when he was in Double-A Altoona back in 2006.

“I’ve always been in center,” McCutchen said, “since I came up. Since my first game here, that’s where I’ve always played.”

McCutchen still feels he can play center field.

“It’s more difficult because I feel I can still play it,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m at the end of my career. You know, people like to say, ‘Torii Hunter moved to right.’ Uh, also, Torii Hunter was 35 years old when he moved to right. So at the same time, I’m 30 and I feel like I can still play it.”

Although it took some time, McCutcheon says he accepts the team’s decision to move from center to right.

“Once I got over the fact that I had to move,” McCutchen said, “the more I started to look at it and get some positivity out of it. And that’s one way to look at it. I’m playing at a position and a spot of a guy that you idolize — Clemente. He set the standard for someone that I would love to be like even half that guy. So it’s an honor to be out there playing that position.”

“I don’t think about that,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on right now. If I start thinking about everything else, I’m not going to focus on what’s in front of me. … Who knows what’s going to happen and transpire? We don’t know.”

McCutcheon is likely taking part in his last spring training with the Pirates. He was linked to numerous trade rumors during the offseason and his name will likely pop up again around the time of the MLB trade deadline.

“I don’t think about that,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on right now. If I start thinking about everything else, I’m not going to focus on what’s in front of me. … Who knows what’s going to happen and transpire? We don’t know.” said. “I’m trying to focus on right now. If I start thinking about everything else, I’m not going to focus on what’s in front of me. … Who knows what’s going to happen and transpire? We don’t know.”

McCutcheon will be trying to bounce back from a disappointing season in 2016 which saw his numbers drastically dip to career lows such as a .256 average, a .336 on-base percentage and posting a .766 OPS.

“Just looking forward to getting out on the field and playing,” he said, “because I’m sure, as you guys know, you’re all sick of hearing about it and I am too, just about everything that’s happened. I’m just ready to get my feet out there, ready to show that this is just the beginning, of some good stuff.”