Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen is on the Trade Block?

Andrew McCutchen may no longer be seen in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. The long-time Pirates outfielder is now reported as a trade option.

According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, Andrew McCutchen, is likely a trade candidate. The five-time All-Star and 2013 National League MVP becomes a free agent in either one or two years. McCutchen’s free agency eligibility depends on if the Pirates pick up his 2018 option for $14.75 million.

Biertempfel notes that Pirates general manager, Neil Huntington, is likely to shop Andrew McCutchen even if it is just to gauge the level of interest. With McCutchen having the worst season of his career, it may be time for the Pirates to let go of their 8-year veteran. Although, the return for him is likely lower than normal considering his mediocre 2016 season.

The 29-year-old center fielder won the National League Silver Slugger award in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. However, McCutchen hit .255/.336/.430 this year which is the worst of his career. The only category that hasn’t seen a significant drop, is home runs. He had 24 on the season which is similar to his home run totals for the previous 3 years.

McCutchen is also seeing the worst season of his career defensively. “Cutch” won a Gold Glove in 2012 but hasn’t won one since. This season, he has -27 defensive runs saved according to Baseball Reference. That is among the lowest in the entire league. Prior to this season, his career worst was -11 DRS.

Andrew McCutchen has been open with media that he wishes to remain a Pirate for the entirety of his career. On the other hand, the Pirates have yet to show any signs they are ready to discuss a new deal with him. If McCutchen is dealt this offseason, it would likely be one of the biggest deals in Pirates’ history.

After missing the postseason this year, the smaller market Pirates may be looking at supplementing some of their young talent in one way or another. Trading McCutchen would also open up the door for Austin Meadows, who is currently being blocked by the former MVP as well as Starling Marte and Gregory Polcano in the outfield. Meadows will likely need some extra time in Triple-A after accumulating just 37 games in Indianapolis this season and batting just .214.

If the Pirates traded McCutchen, it would likely signal a white flag of sorts for 2017, but could lead to their next run of competitive seasons not far behind.