MLB Trade Rumors: Why the Pittsburgh Pirates Dealing Andrew McCutchen This Winter Is Not Certain
Pirates have already exercised McCutchen's option for the 2018 season
Andrew McCutchen is the current face of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates made the postseason for three straight years from 2013 to 2015, and McCutchen was one of the biggest reasons for why those iterations of the franchise were so successful.
It is hard to imagine the Pirates without McCutchen, though recent rumblings have hinted that the franchise moving him is a possibility.
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The folks at ESPN recently polled different general managers, assistant general managers, officials in baseball operations and scouts to get their feel for this offseason.
One of the questions raised asked respondents to identify which of McCutchen, the Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson and the Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado was the "most likely" to be traded.
In response to that question, the majority of respondents selected McCutchen as the one of the three "most likely" to be on a different team by the start of next season.
It is easy to understand why so many knowledgeable people inside the industry view McCutchen as a player who may be traded this winter. The Pirates have shown in the past that they are willing to trade players who they may be unable to re-sign to large contract extensions, even if they still have plenty left in the tank.
With McCutchen only having one year left on his contract and coming off a pretty solid 2017 campaign, the time is seemingly right for the Pirates to take offers for their star outfielder.
So, does all of that mean that McCutchen's stint with the Pirates is really about to end?
Pirates' general manager Neal Huntington commented on the McCutchen rumors recently, MLB.com reported. He said: "I think it's an easy answer that our best club has Andrew McCutchen in the lineup, and we feel that our best club has Andrew McCutchen in center field."
There are likely many Pirates fans who feel the same way as Huntington with regards to McCutchen.
As mentioned earlier, McCutchen is the face of this team, and many fans likely want to see him play out his entire career in Pittsburgh.
Sure, dealing McCutchen could be the smart baseball move. But if the Pirates want to keep fans fully invested in the team, hanging on to the 31-year-old may be something they have to do.
The Pirates could benefit significantly from trading McCutchen this offseason, but then again, keeping him could work out well for them too.
More news about the latest MLB trade rumors should be made available soon.
