Bucs appear willing to listen to offers for Cutch

PITTSBURGH — This weekend brought more Hot Stove smoke, but still no fire, around Andrew McCutchen.

The Mariners asked the Pirates about McCutchen earlier this offseason, MLB.com columnist Jon Morosi reported, but the talks “did not advance.” This is the second reported instance showing McCutchen’s apparent availability, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported the Bucs talked to the Nationals this summer about a deal involving the five-time All-Star.

The Pirates have neither commented on nor confirmed reports that they have spoken to teams about McCutchen’s availability.

Both reports reinforce the likelihood that, with the Winter Meetings two weeks away, the Pirates are willing to consider offers for their franchise player.

The Bucs will continue to listen, though that does not inherently signal the end of McCutchen’s time in black and gold. The Pirates could trade him this winter, deal him later or let him play out his contract in Pittsburgh.

• Hot Stove Tracker

“The reality is we’ve let a lot of really good players walk out the door to free agency,” general manager Neal Huntington told MLB.com earlier this month at the General Managers Meetings. “The reality of expiring contracts — whether it’s one year out or two years out — we …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com