In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Twitter exploded yesterday with seemingly endless Andrew McCutchen trade rumors, intensifying to the highest point it’s probably ever been. Websites debated which teams had the prospects to get a deal done for the former MVP. Some are saying the Pirates are now the aggressor in trade talks, while many wonder whether the Pirates will settle in a deal or get a fair package.
First, we saw Ken Rosenthal say that a McCutchen trade looks “increasingly likely.”
Then, we saw Jeff Passan chime in with a string of tweets:
Sources: Likelihood Andrew McCutchen plays in Pittsburgh in 2017 is dwindling. As @Ken_Rosenthal said, Pirates almost certain to move him.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 30, 2016
Pittsburgh went into this offseason not with a mandate to deal McCutchen but intent on doing so. Still appealing at $28.5M over two years.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 30, 2016
Also important: Pirates plan to move prospect Austin Meadows to corner OF spot at AAA. Eventually Polanco in LF, Marte in CF, Meadows in RF.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 30, 2016
John Perotto had some thoughts as well:
Told there is 80-percent chance" that McCutchen is traded by end of winter meetings. #Pirates #MLB
— John Perrotto (@JPerrotto) November 30, 2016
This is what I've been told #Pirates could reasonably get for McCutchen: young #MLB player, lottery-ticket prospect, two-tier prospect.
— John Perrotto (@JPerrotto) November 30, 2016
So, what does all of this mean?
Well, for starters, it sounds as though McCutchen will certainly be traded this winter. We knew they were shopping him, but now it seems like the Pirates are the team calling other teams, actively trying to trade McCutchen.
It also sounds like the return for McCutchen might not be great. If it turns out to be similar to what Perrotto has speculated, the fan-base will certainly be underwhelmed. You start to wonder at what point is it worth trading McCutchen and when does it turn into solely a salary dump?
A smart front office would only take an offer that blows them away, or is at least above-average. Neal Huntington seems to be operating like they have to trade McCutchen this off-season, and that it’s not in the realm of possibility for him to improve his play next year. I just hope that they only make a deal if it makes sense for the club, and don’t deal the face of their franchise because they feel they have to.
In more news, Matt Joyce signed with the Oakland A’s yesterday as well;
Source: #Athletics in agreement with Matt Joyce on two-year, $11M contract, pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 30, 2016
I was hoping the Pirates would amp up efforts to sign Joyce with Sean Rodriguez gone. Now the team lost two great bench options for next season. We’ll see if they look internally to fill those spots or explore the free agent pool.
Baseball Talk Around the Web
- Jim Bowden of ESPN gives a good free agency breakdown, listing out the top targets and top fallback options for every team this winter.
- And Matt Snyder of CBS Sports lists the needs for every team in the NL Central and what they should be looking to accomplish at the Winter Meetings.
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