It's been a tough 24 hours for Pittsburgh sports fans. First, the Steelers get upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Semi-Final. Now, the Pirates have traded their star player Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants for two minor league players.
McCutchen has been with the Pirates for his entire professional career. He was their first round draft pick in 2005. In 2009, McCutchen reached the majors and would be named to five consecutive NL All-Star teams between 2011 and 2015. He was in the top five in NL MVP balloting in each of those seasons including 2013 when he won the honor. McCutchen was the centerpiece of a team that would earn its first winning season in two decades with three straight NL Wild Card berths.
Some perceive McCutchen as a superstar on the decline. After hitting a career low .256 in 2016, he rebounded to a .279 mark with 28 home runs and 88 RBI. Unless the Giants sign him to a contract extension, he will be a free agent at the end of this coming season. After a terrible 2017, the addition of McCutchen and ex-Ray Evan Longoria could give the Giants' offense a big shot in the arm and make them competitive in the NL West. A change of scenery could do wonders for McCutchen.
But the Pirates are a different matter. In the space of 72 hours, the Pirates have dealt away Gerrit Cole and McCutchen, their two best players for very little in return. It looks like the Pirates will be rebuilding. Bucs fans who spent 20 years waiting for a winning club might not be willing to wait that long this time around. The highlight of the Pirates' 2018 season might very well be when McCutchen returns to PNC Park wearing a Giants' uniform the weekend of May 11th-13th.
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