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Central Notes: Pirates, Cardinals, Twins

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The Pirates have not discussed an extension with manager Clint Hurdle, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. “How long will I go? I don’t know the shelf life,” says Hurdle. “I just know that I’m still engaged. I love what I do, I love who I’m doing it for, and I love who I’m doing it with. I’ll take it one year at a time.” There’s no indication Hurdle’s job is in danger, and he’s signed through 2017 with an option for 2018. Interestingly, though, Biertempfel notes that whenever Hurdle’s tenure with the Pirates does come to an end, there’s a good chance he could be replaced internally, with new bench coach and former Double-A skipper Tom Prince as a possible replacement. “We hope Clint manages the Pirates for a long time,” says Pirates president Frank Coonelly. “But, like with any other key leadership position, we want to be sure we’re developing successors. We have a bias toward promoting from within when possible, but we also have a bias toward hiring the best person for the job. If we develop our people the right way, they’ll be the best people for the job.” The Bucs already recently did develop another top big-league manager — former Bucs bench coach Jeff Banister was the 2015 AL Manager of the Year with the Rangers. Here’s more from the Central divisions.

  • Four-year deals for relievers are demonstrably dicey propositions, so it’s unclear why the Cardinals committed to Brett Cecil for that long, ESPN’s Keith Law writes (Insider only). Cecil was worth roughly $7.5MM per year (the annual value of the contract he just received) in 2013 through 2015, but it’s optimistic to expect him to be worth that several years from now, given the uninspiring histories of relievers who’ve received long-term deals (B.J. Ryan, Justin Speier, Joe Nathan, Steve Karsay, and so on).
  • Cardinals fans would be unwise to read too much into the news that the team has mentioned Michael Wacha’s name in trade talks, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes in a series of questions and answers about the Cards’ offseason plans. The Cardinals might simply be trying to gauge Wacha’s value, as they did in previous discussions about pitchers like Shelby Miller and Kyle Lohse.
  • Law praises the Twins for dropping Trevor Plouffe, on the grounds that his underwhelming defense makes him approximately replacement level. Law says he is curious to see whether the Twins will now turn to Miguel Sano at third base, since he is heavy for the position and has not been a good defender at the position throughout his career. (UZR and DRS rated Sano around average in 376 big-league innings at the position in 2016.)
  • The Twins have been in contact with free agent righty Justin Masterson, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press tweets. That’s not surprising, since new Twins head of baseball operations Derek Falvey previously worked with Masterson in the Indians organization. Masterson, formerly a solid big-league starter, had an underwhelming 2016 in the Bucs organization while fighting his way back from shoulder trouble, posting a 4.85 ERA, 6.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 59 1/3 innings covering two minor league stops.

Mariners Asked Pirates About Andrew McCutchen

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The Mariners asked the Pirates about center fielder Andrew McCutchen earlier this offseason, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link), though talks between the two sides “did not advance.”  Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said after the GM Meetings that he had been receiving calls from multiple teams about McCutchen’s services, and given Seattle’s rather unsettled outfield situation, it isn’t surprising that the Mariners checked in on the former NL MVP.  A couple of weeks ago, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Nationals discussed a McCutchen deal with Pittsburgh over the summer.

On most days, the Mariners will use three left-handed hitters (Seth Smith, Leonys Martin and Ben Gamel) as their starting outfield, with right-handed bats Danny Valencia, Guillermo Heredia or regular DH Nelson Cruz spelling Smith against left-handed pitching.  Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has said that the club intends for Gamel to play every day, though given Gamel’s lack of experience, one would think the M’s would also want some right-handed protection for Gamel against tough southpaws.  Then again, with Valencia also likely to see time at first base spelling Dan Vogelbach against lefty pitching, there may not be enough right-handed outfield bats to go around.

Adding another right-handed hitter (like McCutchen) would go a lot way towards stabilizing the many moving parts of this platoon situation.  McCutchen would have immediately become the everyday option in left or right field, as given how the former Gold Glover’s defense has heavily declined over the last three years, it would’ve made little sense for him to displace Martin in center.

The big question facing the M’s or any other team interested in McCutchen, of course, is whether his rough 2016 season was the start of a decline or just an aberration.  McCutchen hit just .256/.336/.430 over 675 PA for the Bucs last season, easily the worst numbers of his eight-year career.  Between his poor hitting, fielding and even a below-average baserunning totals, McCutchen posted just 0.7 fWAR last year, a stunning dropoff for a player who amassed 33.3 fWAR over the previous five seasons.

McCutchen is owed $14MM in 2017 and the Pirates have a $14.5MM club option on the outfielder for 2018 (with a $1MM buyout).  McCutchen’s contract has long been seen as one of baseball’s great bargains, though if the Pirates no longer know what kind of production their longtime star will deliver from now on, the deal may now be considered too risky for a small-market team like Pittsburgh.  With top prospect Austin Meadows waiting in the wings, one has to wonder if we’ve seen the last of McCutchen in Bucs black-and-gold, as teams with more financial breathing room can afford to see if McCutchen can return to form.

Free Agent/Trade Rumblings: Beltran, McCutchen, Guerra, Moreland

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Quite a bit of competition is lining up for Carlos Beltran, who is now being pursued by both the Red Sox and Yankees, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. The Blue Jays, too, have reached out, and the Astros seemingly remain a possibility, providing yet more evidence that multiple organizations currently have more interest in a limited commitment to Beltran than they do a lengthier pact with Edwin Encarnacion. While Toronto’s addition of Kendrys Morales has started the movement on sluggers, there are a wide variety still available, and it promises to remain an area of intrigue for much of the offseason.

A few more late-night notes from around the league…

  • Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle certainly didn’t sound like he’s convinced center fielder Andrew McCutchen will remain with the organization when the 2017 season begins, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. “I’ll take it one day at a time,” said Hurdle when asked about the possibility of a McCutchen trade. “I think any general manager that’s in a market similar to the one we’re in has to explore the possibility of (trading) players who have one or two years left on their contracts. You have to see what value is there to keep or to move.” While McCutchen is hopeful of spending his career in Pittsburgh, Biertempfel writes that the Pirates haven’t approached him about extending his current six-year, $51.5MM contract, which has one more guaranteed year (2017) and an affordable club option (2018).
  • The Brewers are getting trade inquiries on right-hander Junior Guerra, reports Jon Morosi of the MLB Network (via Twitter). That Milwaukee would receive interest isn’t necessarily a shock, given Guerra’s controllable nature and the strong debut season he had in Milwaukee. It’ll be interesting to see if further reports emerge about GM David Stearns seriously entertaining offers on Guerra, whose 2016 success was certainly unique in nature. This past year marked Guerra’s rookie season, but unlike most first-year success stories, Guerra is a 31-year-old (32 in January) that was plucked off waivers by Stearns last offseason and enjoyed a terrific but somewhat out-of-the-blue debut. The former Braves, Mets and White Sox farmhand made 20 starts for Milwaukee and quietly pitched to a 2.81 ERA with 7.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate while averaging a tick over 93 mph on his fastball. Guerra still holds tremendous appeal for the the 2017 season, but it seems likely that the Brewers will at least listen to offers on him, as Milwaukee may not contend until 2018 or even 2019, at which point Guerra will be in his age-33 or age-34 season.
  • First baseman Mitch Moreland is a free agent for the first time in his career, but he said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM yesterday (Twitter link) that if things go his way, he’d be back with the Rangers in 2017 and beyond. “Texas would be my first choice,” said the 31-year-old. “I love it there.” Whether the Rangers reciprocate that interest isn’t yet known, but the team does have a need at first base and DH with Moreland hitting the open market and Prince Fielder’s sudden retirement. Texas does have the option of letting the much-ballyhooed Joey Gallo take some of those at-bats in 2017, though there have been indications that the organization feels he’d benefit from opening next year in the minors. Texas has presently been focused on other matters and is reportedly on the verge of completing a one-year deal with righty Andrew Cashner. Moreland, meanwhile, turned in another 20-homer season in 2016 but saw his OBP dip as well. Overall, he hit .233/.298/.422 with 22 big flies in 503 trips to the plate.

Players Added To The 40-Man

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We’ll use this post to keep track of the players being added to their teams’ respective 40-man rosters today, which is the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. Players must be added to the big league roster within either four years (if they were 19 or older at the time of their original signing) or five years (if 18 or younger) of their signing year in order to be shielded from selection.

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo took a look at some of the biggest names who face roster decisions, though most of those won’t be much in question. At the fringes, teams must also consider the major league readiness of the player, since that factors heavily into whether they’ll be taken and kept. Any drafting team, of course, must keep a player on its active MLB roster for the full season (with certain exceptions relating to the DL) in order for their control rights to vest. Adding a player to the 40-man too early can have its own risks, because it limits flexibility and could require a team to expose that player to waivers if a need arises. With 26-man rosters reportedly under consideration, the Rule 5 draft could be quite intriguing this year, and that may bleed into today’s decisions as well.

Below is a division-by-division rundown of the names that were added to each team’s 40-man roster (plus the various waiver claims that spawned from teams trying to outright players to protect Rule 5-eligible prospects). We won’t delve into each player’s background, but if you’re looking to a little more about the names that were added, I’d highly recommend this tremendous, in-depth examination of each team’s additions by Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper. If you want to see how the moves look in the context of a team’s roster, head over to Roster Resource for your club’s depth chart.

Onto the moves…

American League West

American League Central

American League East

National League West

National League Central

National League East

Market Notes: Braves, Nats, Sale, S-Rod, Hernandez, Santana, Rosario

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The Braves are “aggressively swapping offers” with other organizations for starters, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Atlanta has been rumored to have inquired on basically all of the quality, young, controllable arms that might be available, and it seems that the organization is serious about pursuing a major strike. One such pitcher, of course, is White Sox lefty Chris Sale, who has also reportedly been asked about by the Braves’ division rivals to the north. Adding a starting pitcher isn’t exactly a priority for the Nationals, at least from the perspective of need, but Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post argues that the team ought to push hard for Sale. By Svrluga’s reckoning, the team has the prospect arsenal needed to get something done; after another postseason disappointment, he says, adding another ace could get the team over the hump.

Here are a few more notes on the developing market:

  • There are five teams in on free agent utilityman Sean Rodriguez, reports Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). One is the Pirates, who have said they’re interested in a reunion, and the Dodgers are also intrigued, per Robert Murray of Fan Rag. MLBTR rated Rodriguez as the 35th-best free agent available after his productive 2016 campaign.
  • We’ve heard discussion about the possibility of the Phillies dealing Cesar Hernandez, particularly after the team acquired second-base-capable Howie Kendrick, and CSNPhilly.com’s Corey Seidman takes a look at his possible trade market. His productive 2016 and cheap control make him an interesting option for other organizations, though the question remains whether he can sustain his breakout. Seidman discusses some players who could hold appeal to Philadelphia, suggesting that the club would be most interested in a major league return.
  • Lefty Johan Santana may not be done yet, Cotillo adds on Twitter. He’s planning on winter ball in Venezuela in hopes that he can land an opportunity with a major league organization. This certainly isn’t the first time that Santana, now 37, has had a crack at a return, but his prior efforts have all been thwarted by injury. The two-time Cy Young winner has not seen major league action since 2012.
  • Free agent slugger Wilin Rosario is still hopeful of landing with a major league club after spending a year in Korea, Cotillo tweets, but he’s not committed to playing in North America. A return to the KBO could also be a consideration, per the report. Rosario, 27, may no longer be an option behind the dish, but his power should intrigue regardless. Over 532 plate appearances last year with the Hanwha Eagles, he posted a .321/.367/.593 batting line with 33 long balls, though of course the KBO is a notably friendly league for hitters.

Yankees, Padres, Pirates Have Reached Out To Derek Holland

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Michael Martini, the agent for left-hander Derek Holland, said earlier this week that his client is intrigued by the Pirates, and Holland himself has expressed interest in a return to the Rangers. Now, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram adds some more detail to Holland’s market. According to Wilson, both the Yankees and Padres have reached out to Holland to express some early interest as well.

Each of the three teams in question could use at least one arm, and the Padres in particular could stand to add multiple starting pitchers this offseason. With literally no guaranteed contracts on the book for the 2017 campaign, the Padres could reasonably afford to beat out any interested party on a one-year deal if they see fit and believe enough in Holland’s ability to rebound from three seasons that have been largely lost to shoulder and knee injuries. The 30-year-old Holland is a known commodity for San Diego GM A.J. Preller, who was an assistant GM with the Rangers during the earlier stages of Holland’s career (including his peak year in 2013). As it stands, the Friars’ rotation will contain a hopefully healthy Tyson Ross and last year’s Rule 5 selection Luis Perdomo, but there’s little certainty beyond that point. Martini spoke this weekend about a desire to have a guaranteed starting spot, and the Padres could most certainly provide that.

The Yankees, on the other hand, already have a rotation that is full of injury question marks. While CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda improbably combined to start 93 games for the 2016 Yankees, each of those hurlers has dealt with significant injury problems in as recently as 2014-15, and the Yankees can’t reasonably expect that they’ll again be entirely healthy next year. Beyond that group is a quartet of young right-handers that have shown promise but haven’t established themselves as big league starters: Luis Severino, Chad Green, Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell. Swingman Adam Warren, too, could conceivably start some games in 2017, though it seems likelier that he’ll open next year in the bullpen.

MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth already looked at the case for the Bucs to sign Holland this weekend, noting that there appears to be at least one open spot behind Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon. In the mix will be top prospect Tyler Glasnow, rebound candidate Drew Hutchison and youngsters Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault and Trevor Williams. The Bucs are known as a team that has turned around the careers of many pitchers, including A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, Edinson Volquez, J.A. Happ and Ivan Nova.

Trade Chatter: Sale, Astros, Votto, Watson, Marlins

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Though the Braves already added R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon this winter, it seems they aren’t quite done shopping for starters. They have joined the division-rival Nationals, and probably a sizable portion of the rest of baseball, in reaching out to the White Sox about lefty Chris Sale, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Atlanta is among the organizations “trying hardest” to pry Sale loose from Chicago, per the report, with some around the league believing that he could change hands this winter. Of course, yesterday’s report regarding the Nats also suggested that the South Siders have yet to engage in serious chatter as of yet, and the Braves are looking at a variety of options, so it’s a bit soon to dwell heavily on the Sale/Braves connection. Atlanta has also inquired with the Rays on Chris Archer and the Athletics on Sonny Gray, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes.

A few more notes on some trade situations from around the league…

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told reporters today, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, that he still hopes to have one or two transactions completed before the Winter Meetings (video link). Luhnow said as much when leaving the GM Meetings last week, but the Houston GM offered indications today that the club has narrowed its focus. “I think instead of working on 12 things right now, we’re working on four, which gives us a little bit more focus,” said Luhnow. “…We’re in a position where we did all of our homework ahead of time, we know what resources we have, we know what needs we need to fill, and we can be a little bit more aggressive this year than we have in years past.” Asked about his potential areas of focus, Luhnow spoke generally about needing “some pitching help” and “a bat or two,” though he did say that his team is willing to act as quickly as a trade partner or agent will allow.
  • Reds GM Dick Williams continues to downplay any notion that Joey Votto could be traded, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. Speaking at last week’s GM Meetings, Williams said that he “certainly [hasn’t] had any discussions with [Votto]” about waiving his no-trade clause, per Sheldon. Williams said that the constant speculation is understandable for a player of Votto’s caliber but believes the first baseman will be at the center of the team’s lineup throughout the rebuild and beyond. As we’ve pointed out here at MLBTR many times, Votto also has a full no-trade clause and has gone on record as saying he has no desire to leave Cincinnati. Sheldon offers another quote from Votto, from 2015: “I just absolutely love playing here. I really like where I live. … I like the location of the ballpark and the fans and the clubhouse and the uniform and the number on my back — all the littlest things that people take for granted are very comfortable to me and something I look forward to. I don’t think of myself as anything other than a Cincinnati Red. It’s one of the really cool things about having a no-trade clause.”
  • The Mariners may not feel comfortable spending enough to compete with the Blue Jays for the services of free-agent lefty Brett Cecil, which could lead them to the trade market, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Per Dutton, Pirates left-hander Tony Watson is one name to monitor as Seattle looks for a late-inning lefty, noting that Watson is “believed to be available.” The 31-year-old stepped into Pittsburgh’s closer role last year following the trade of Mark Melancon and performed well, as he’s done in virtually every role he’s been used over the past several seasons. Dating back to 2012. Watson boasts a 2.40 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 45 percent ground-ball rate in 345 1/3 innings. He’s lefties to a downright pitiful .190/.253/.273 slash but also more than held his own against righties, yielding a collective .214/.280/.346 batting line in that time. Watson has one more year of club control and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.9MM in his final trip through the arbitration process.
  • Though the Marlins are exploring the trade market for rotation help, they’re not willing to part with either Christian Yelich or J.T. Realmuto, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. There have also been no indications that they’d consider moving Giancarlo Stanton, Frisaro continues, although with a full no-trade clause and the largest contract in history, that could potentially be a moot point anyhow. Marcell Ozuna and Adeiny Hechavarria are the most oft-mentioned names the Fish could look to move, though Hechavarria’s anemic bat offsets a great deal of his defensive talent.

Quick Hits: Otani, Archer, Rays, McCutchen, Bucs

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If Japanese ace Shohei Otani were a free agent this offseason, “He’d be by far the best pitcher on the market,” one general manager told Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. Considering the current class lacks front-end starters, that’s not a surprise. However, the 22-year-old right-hander would also draw plenty of interest on a robust market. Otani led the Nippon Ham Fighters to a Japan Series title this past season while recording a 1.86 ERA, 11.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 over 140 innings. The left-handed batter was also outstanding offensively, hitting .322/.416/.588 with 22 home runs in 382 plate appearances, and could become a two-way star in the major leagues eventually. One GM would have no problem allowing Otani to hit on days he doesn’t pitch. “Sign me up. I think every one of the 30 teams would be in the mix,” he said. Otani has only played four years in Japan and won’t be eligible to come to the majors of his own volition until after his ninth season, but the Fighters could post him before then and receive $20MM in return from the team that wins his services. There are multiple GMs who don’t expect that to happen until 2018, though, per Bloom.

More from around baseball:

  • The Rays are in position to take advantage of the lack of enticing starters on this year’s market, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The club has trade candidates in a pair of righties – Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi – and southpaw Drew Smyly, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Friday that the Rays departed this week’s GM meetings with confidence that they’d deal at least one of them. Righty Alex Cobb also holds appeal, writes Topkin, even though he pitched to an 8.59 ERA in 22 innings this year after missing all of 2015 because of Tommy John surgery. “The demand is there,” GM Erik Neander said of his pitchers. “When you have really good players, especially in an area where there is need across the league, I think it certainly plays that way.”
  • The Rays’ best starter, Archer, lamented the team’s financial limitations in an interview with MLB Network Radio on Thursday. “I think in order for us to be successful, we’ve got to spend more money,” he said (via Topkin). “You look at the teams that were in contention this year and they were all around the $100-million payroll mark or more. And we’re in the $70 million payroll (range).” Archer continued, “I get it. We might not be capable of spending with the Yankees and Red Sox. But if we keep harping on it then it permeates the minds of the players. And we don’t want the players to think that we’re at any competitive disadvantage.” President of baseball operations Matt Silverman responded to Archer’s comments Friday, telling Topkin, “We share Chris’ passion. There’s no value in harping on the competitive disadvantages in baseball. It’s our reality. And it’s what helps motivate us to find new ways to win.”
  • The Pirates held trade talks over the summer involving center fielder Andrew McCutchen, the longtime face of the franchise, and GM Neal Huntington has continued to field inquiries on the 30-year-old. Regarding the interested teams, Huntington told the Associated Press after the GM meetings, “They recognize that we haven’t been averse to moving guys as their contract nears expiration. It’s a part of how we believe we need to do things to continue to be competitive and continue to give ourselves a shot to win.”  McCutchen has a maximum of two years left on his contract, including a $14.5MM club option in 2018.

Derek Holland Interested In Signing With Pirates

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Free agent starter Derek Holland is interested in signing with the Pirates, although the Bucs have not yet made Holland an offer, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. “I’d say the Pirates are on our short list,” says Holland’s agent, Michael Martini.

“We’d prefer a guaranteed spot, but Derek is not afraid to compete for a job,” says Martini. “We’ll see how the market develops, but we would be open to a one-year deal.”

The Pirates appear likely to hunt for low-cost rotation help, since their starting pitching options beyond Gerrit Cole (including Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, Drew Hutchison, Trevor Williams and top prospect Tyler Glasnow) are mostly very young. They have a reputation for fixing pitchers, and various hurlers (including J.A. Happ, Edinson Volquez and, later this winter, Ivan Nova) have cashed in, or will cash in, on the free agent market after pitching well in Pittsburgh.

Holland was once an important cog in the Rangers rotation, but missed most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons due to injury and struggled to a 4.95 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 107 1/3 innings in 2016 while also experiencing decreased velocity. The Rangers declined his team option for 2017. Holland would appear to be a candidate for the Pirates to cheaply gamble on this winter if they feel they can help him recapture something resembling his 2011-13 prime, when he pitched nearly 600 innings with an ERA below four.

Pirates, Nationals Discussed Andrew McCutchen Trade In July

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The Pirates and Nationals connected on a notable July trade that sent Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh to D.C. in exchange for Felipe Rivero and Taylor Hearn, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that a second blockbuster between the two sides was also discussed at length. Pittsburgh and Washington talked about a potential trade that would’ve sent Andrew McCutchen to the Nationals according to Rosenthal, though the deal apparently crumbled because there were too many moving parts at play. He adds that top prospect Victor Robles was one Pirates target in the deal.

It’s unlikely that the talks are picked back up due to the fact that there’s a gap between how the Pirates view McCutchen and how the Nats view him, Rosenthal continues, though serious trade discussions involving the 2013 NL MVP do at least indicate that the Bucs could be open to moving him this winter.

McCutchen turned in what was far and away the worst season of his career in 2016, taking notable steps backwards in terms of his offense, defense and baserunning. The 30-year-old’s .256/.336/.430 batting line still checked in a bit above the league average, per park-adjusted metrics like wRC+ and OPS+, but McCutchen had batted at least .292 with an OBP of at least .400 in each of the four prior seasons. Meanwhile, he stole a career-low six bases and was caught seven times. And in center field, the once premium defender turned in awful Defensive Runs Saved (-28) and Ultimate Zone Rating (-18.7) marks, though Rosenthal hears that the Pirates believe his poor ratings are due to the fact that McCutchen was positioned too shallow for much of the season (a problem that Dexter Fowler recently cited when discussing his own defensive improvements).

It’s not entirely clear if the Pirates will look to move McCutchen this winter or if they’ll just opportunistically listen to offers, though the team does have a near-MLB-ready replacement in the form of top prospect Austin Meadows. But even if they don’t, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that his defensive shortcomings in 2016 could spell the end of his time in center field (Twitter link). Per Olney, the Bucs are considering a new outfield alignment that would feature Gregory Polanco in left field, Starling Marte in center field and McCutchen in right field.

If the Pirates do look to move McCutchen, though, there are undoubtedly a number of teams that would line up to take a chance on him returning to his previous heights. He’s owed a reasonable $14MM next year and also has a $14.5MM club option on his contract, which comes with a $1MM buyout. Even on the heels of a down season for McCutchen, the opportunity to acquire someone of his ceiling and owe him just a $15MM guarantee over one year (with a reasonably priced option for a second season) is intriguing for any club in need of outfield help. However, the challenge, as is the case when inquiring on any star-level player coming off a down season, will be agreeing on a price point. The Pirates almost certainly would value McCutchen at a very high level, but interested parties may be reluctant to pay a premium price for a 30-year-old that could be entering into a decline phase.

That disparity is highlighted by the package reported by Rosenthal; Robles currently ranks as the No. 10 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, but Rosenthal notes that the Pirates weren’t keen on trading McCutchen for only one outfield prospect that has yet to play above Class-A. That’s certainly understandable, as it’s not uncommon at all for toolsy young outfielders to flame out, and being left with nothing to show for trading the face of the franchise would be a disastrous outcome.

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