Might the tenure of Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh be coming to an end? If the San Francisco Giants have their say in the matter, yes. Per a report, the prior interest that the Giants have had in the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder has not waned.
The #SFGiants also made a 3-year offer for OF Jay Bruce, but their offer was about $10 million less than the 3-year, $39 million contract Bruce received from the #Mets. They remain in talks with the #Pirates for CF Andrew McCutchen
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2018
It certainly makes sense. The current San Francisco depth chart features a starting outfield of Jarrett Parker in left, Gorkys Hernandez in center, and Hunter Pence in right. Pence is a former All-Star, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy for three seasons. Neither Parker or Hernandez has proven capable to be worthy of an everyday position.
While the addition of Evan Longoria will help matters, the Giants remain in need of a significant offensive upgrade. McCutchen isn’t putting up MVP caliber numbers anymore. But with 28 home runs, 11 steals, and a .279/.363/.486 in 2017, he would easily rank as one of San Francisco’s top offensive threats.
McCutchen is a tricky trade target, as he’s entering the final year of his contract. That certainly hurts his overall value in terms of what Pittsburgh can expect back. That helps a team like the Giants, whose farm system is not especially highly thought of.
Expect McCutchen and San Francisco to be linked in the rumor mill until a trade happens, or the season begins.