The Pittsburgh Pirates will not trade veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen, 36. Pittsburgh owner Bob Nutting put the nail in the coffin himself.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Wednesday that “McCutchen is not going anywhere. It’s not speculation, it’s coming directly from the only person who can say it, the owner.
“We’re not going to trade McCutchin unless he asks us to,” Nutting said. He should stay with the team as long as he wants to. I’m sure there are teams out there that want McCutchen, but we want him to stay in a Pirates uniform.”
Reports surfaced last week that the Texas Rangers were interested in McCutchen. While the veteran could immediately garner interest on the trade market, Nutting told McCutchen himself that “there’s no chance of a trade”.
Drafted by Pittsburgh with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, McCutchen made his major league debut in 2009 and has since developed into a dominant center fielder and one of the team’s signature stars. He won the National League MVP in 2013 and was named an All-Star for five straight years from 2011-2015. He spent his prime in Pittsburgh for nine years, until 2017.
Since 2018, McCutchen has bounced around the league with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers before returning to Pittsburgh this year. He signed a one-year, $5 million free agent deal to return to his hometown team after a six-year absence, and he has increased his value with performances reminiscent of his prime. In 71 games this season, he’s batting .252 (70-for-70) with 10 home runs, 28 RBI, 47 doubles, 60 walks, nine stolen bases, a .390 on-base percentage, a .440 slugging percentage and an .830 OPS. Through the middle of last month, he has been a big part of Pittsburgh’s run to first place in the National League Central.
“It’s been a long time coming, and it’s a special moment,” said McCutchen, who received a huge fan reception in this year’s home opener. I’m grateful to be able to come back to Pittsburgh and play the home opener. I love Pittsburgh. Every time I walk past the away clubhouse at PNC Park and go to the home clubhouse, I’m thankful. It’s great to be back in Pittsburgh and spend more time with my family,” he said of his love for the team. On March 12, he reached the 2,000-hit milestone at home.
“McCutchin has done a great job all around,” Nutting said. We expected him to help the team, and he’s filled that role perfectly. He’s been a positive influence in the clubhouse. His level of influence has made a huge difference for the team. From the time we got off to a good start in April to whenever we needed to get out of a funk, McCutchen has been right where we needed him.”온라인카지노
McCutchen trade speculation surfaced after Pittsburgh lost 10 straight games in the middle of last month, sending their winning percentage to .500 and dropping them to fourth place in the division. Sitting seven games behind the third-place San Francisco Giants for the seventh National League (NL) wild card, Pittsburgh faces a difficult fall schedule. The team’s depth makes it difficult to overturn that deficit in the second half, and it makes sense for the organization to use McCutchen as a trade chip to build for the future.
But Pittsburgh opted for romance. The owner has declared McCutchen a non-tender and is sticking with the team’s star and fan favorite. “McCutchen is unquestionably Pittsburgh’s most valuable player in decades,” said the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “and his desire to continue playing here is likely to continue into the future. Read more at /waw@osen.co.kr
