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Bucs said to be exploring McCutchen deals
- Updated: December 1, 2016
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates seem prepared to deal the face of their franchise, as they reportedly have begun shopping Andrew McCutchen in trade talks with other clubs.
Earlier this month, the Bucs confirmed they were willing to listen to offers for McCutchen, waiting to see if any would persuade them to part with the five-time All-Star and 2013 National League MVP Award winner. But multiple outlets, including Yahoo! Sports, reported Wednesday that the Pirates are now taking a more active approach toward dealing McCutchen.
McCutchen “might be the most likely to go” of baseball’s high-profile trade targets, MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday. Yahoo! added that the odds of McCutchen returning to the Bucs in 2017 are “dwindling.”
• Hot Stove Tracker
“I’m under contract with them, right? That’s the way I’m looking at it,” McCutchen said at the end of the season. “I don’t align the stars. I’m not the person that controls all that. I don’t do that. It’s all in God’s hands.”
It’s possible the Pirates increased their efforts on the trade front after determining there would be a sufficient market — and therefore a strong enough return — to justify trading McCutchen. The Mets’ four-year, $110 million deal with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes may have been another factor. The Nationals, Rangers and Dodgers — all rich in prospects — still need an outfielder. So do the Giants, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mariners, Astros and Indians.
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Moving McCutchen, the Pirates’ biggest star as they snapped a …
