The Pirates have been actively shopping Andrew McCutchen. We take a look at where the team stands with him before the Winter Meetings kick into high gear.
The Winter Meetings officially began yesterday, but the real talks start today. A lot of deals typically get done at these meetings, and while teams do sign players and make trades before this time, the off-season really begins to accelerate at this event.
Neal Huntington and the rest of the front office will have a lot on their agenda. They could target a few free agents to round out the bullpen and the bench, but all eyes will be on whether they decide to trade Andrew McCutchen or not. Of course they would still have the rest of the off-season to work out a deal if one doesn’t get done this week, but with representatives from every team in one place, there may be no better time to move McCutchen than now.
So where does the team currently stand with the face of their franchise in trade talks? Here’s what we know:
The Nationals certainly seem to be the team displaying the most interest in McCutchen, and, as of now, the Pirates and Nats are still have ongoing talks.
Pirates and Nationals continuing to pursue a trade for Andrew McCutchen, per source. Pirates breaking down video of Nats prospects this a.m.
— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) December 2, 2016
#Nationals remained in lead for Andrew McCutchen as of late yesterday, sources say. #Rangers also in contact with #Pirates. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 2, 2016
As Morosi notes, the Rangers are also in play. We’ve heard a lot about the Nationals, but the Pirates are doing their due diligence by talking to many different teams. After all, a former MVP is a popular commodity.
UPDATE – Jon Heyman reports that a “mystery team” is now in on McCutchen as well.
There have been many names thrown out in these talks, but the ones being brought up the most are top Nats’ prospects Lucas Giolito, Victor Robles, and Reynaldo Lopez, as well as Gio Gonzalez, Joe Ross, and Tanner Roark. The Pirates, ideally, would probably like a couple prospects and an MLB player. But the two teams clearly haven’t come to a consensus yet. It’s also important to note that the Pirates don’t need to move McCutchen, and they only will if they get a deal they can’t pass up.
Jon Heyman notes that the Nationals may be trying to make a splash at the Winter Meetings, and landing McCutchen is only one way to do that. But if they get Chris Sale and/or Mark Melancon, who they are also targeting, they may not have the resources to land McCutchen. But the Nats are a team to keep an eye on over the next few days.
The Dodgers have been rumored as a good landing spot for McCutchen as well, and they would have the prospects to get a deal done.
What’s my take on the situation? I’ve generally been anti-trading McCutchen for the past year, as I think he’ll rebound and the Pirates are selling low. But if they could land two top prospects and a quality major league starter from the Nationals or another team, I could be inclined to feel differently. I’d only trade him for the right deal.
This could be an exciting week for the Pirates if the team is busy making moves. Even if it doesn’t turn out that McCutchen gets traded, the rumors will be flying, and everyone will have their eyes on Maryland over the next few days.
Image Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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