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Pirates continue teardown, trading Andrew McCutchen to Giants

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For the second time in less than a month, the San Francisco Giants acquired a franchise player from a small-market team with designs on rebuilding.
For the second time in less than a month, the San Francisco Giants acquired a franchise player from a small-market team with designs on rebuilding.
This time, it was center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who led the Pittsburgh Pirates out of two decades of misery and into three consecutive playoff appearances.
Monday, the Pirates agreed to trade McCutchen, the 2013 National League MVP, to the Giants for minor-league right-hander Kyle Crick and outfielder Bryan Reynolds, just two days after dealing No. 1 starter Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros. The Pirates also obtained $500,000 in international bonus pool space, and they’ll cover $2.5 million of McCutchen’s $14.75 million salary.
A person with direct knowledge of the trade confirmed that it is complete, pending physicals for the players involved. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized.
Pittsburgh. My Home. My Fans. My City. The placed that raised me and helped mold me into the man I am today. You will 4ever be in my heart. A tip of the cap to all who have been on this journey with me. With Love and respect, Cutch pic.twitter.com/QB0n9vuBuZ
— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) January 15,2018
The McCutchen deal, in particular, marks the end of an era in Pittsburgh, where the dynamic center fielder hit 203 home runs, posted an .866 OPS and appeared in five consecutive All-Star Games.
In San Francisco, he will join third baseman Evan Longoria, acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in December. Unlike Longoria, McCutchen has just one season remaining before he’s eligible for free agency.
The deal ends 15 months of uncertainty for McCutchen, 31, who was originally placed on the trade block after the 2016 season. The Pirates were unable to consummate a deal involving him then, but moved him from center to right field before the 2017 season.
McCutchen reluctantly but gracefully accepted the reassignment, then returned to center field after Starling Marte was suspended 80 games for performance-enhancing drug use. In his final season in Pittsburgh, McCutchen hit 28 home runs and posted a.363 on-base percentage, a nice bounce back from a challenging 2016 season.

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