Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Trade Rumors: Pirates Willing to Trade Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison
The Andrew McCutchen era in Pittsburgh appears to be nearing its end. The Pirates have already announced that McCutchen would be moving from center field to right field earlier this month, but now reports said they might be looking for another chance to unload their franchise cornerstone.
The Pirates reportedly tried to trade McCutchen during the winter meetings, but they decided to take him off the table when they didn't receive any offer they liked. Now, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting that Pirates general manager Neal Huntington "remains willing" to deal McCutchen and second baseman Josh Harrison.
McCutchen is the 2013 National League MVP, a five-time All-Star and the face of the Pirates franchise. However, he has been on a decline the past two seasons.
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"After an All Star campaign in 2014 that netted him a big contract extension, Harrison has come back to earth and settled in as a good defensive second baseman who simply does not possess the power or the on base skills to be an asset," Mike Bates of SB Nation said.
That may sound like a harsh assessment, but it's true. McCutchen had a rough time last season as he averaged career lows in batting average (0.256), on-base percentage (0.336), and slugging percentage (0.430). He has 24 home runs and 79 runs batted in.
A number of publications have also pointed out that he was the worst center fielder in the entire league last season with his -28 in defensive runs saved. This is why the Pirates have decided to move him to right field.
On the other hand, Harrison was an All-Star during the 2014 season. Last season, he posted a batting average of 0.283, an on-base percentage of 0.311 and a slugging percentage of 0.388. He also had four home runs, 59 runs batted in and 19 stolen bases. Harrison is under club control for the next four years.
