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The Pirates prepare for rarely chartered waters in dealing Andrew McCutchen
Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen's days in Pittsburgh appeared to be numbered. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Pirates prepare for rarely chartered waters in dealing Andrew McCutchen

Twenty-four months ago, it would have been an absurd idea to think that the Pirates could be considering trading the cornerstone of their resurgent operation. Twelve months ago, it would have been little more than a whisper of a possibility. However, as December 2016 sets in, it appears more and more likely that Andrew McCutchen will not see the new year as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There is little dispute in saying McCutchen has been the most important Pirate in the last quarter century, at the very least. With all due respects to the exploits of Barry Bonds and Willie Stargell, it could be argued that he could be the franchise’s most important stakeholder since Roberto Clemente. His rise heralded the end of the Pittsburgh’s epic 20-year losing season streak, and behind his lead, the Pirates reached the National League Wild Card Game three consecutive years from 2013-2015.

The heights his play reached made him a regular on the National League All-Star ranks and also made PNC Park one of the most raucous crowds in the game. While the Pirates had not yet broken the glass ceiling of passing through into postseason series play, all signs pointed toward them staying at the throats of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in what has been baseball’s most competitive pairing of divisional rivals.

But much can change over the course of the type of regressive year that both McCutchen and Pittsburgh went through last summer. The Pirates won 20 less games this past summer than the year before, while McCutchen’s numbers fell across the board as well. And with two years remaining on his contract, the Pirates are now actively looking to unload their franchise’s building block.

Now the former MVP is formally being shopped by the Pirates in a move that heralds the end of an era of good feelings surrounding the declining McCutchen. The decision to turn the page represents a push by the organization to rapidly move on before he potentially shows any further erosion to his status in the game, even if his results plummeted last year in a seemingly inexplicable fashion.

As would be expected, there has been no shortage of interest in acquiring McCutchen due to the fact there is very reasonable optimism that he simply had a bad year, not to mention being a phenomenal value for his accomplishments at $14 million a year over the next two seasons, as well as having the always alluring jettison option of a $14 million team-controlled option for 2018 that can be activated for only a $1 million buyout rate.

It is one of baseball's great contracts, one that makes McCutchen easily the game’s top value, even with his slightly declined play. It makes him a player for any team looking for an upgrade in center field and is willing to pay the prospect price that will be asked for him by the half-in/half-out rebuilding Pirates team.

But the decision to move a franchise cornerstone is always a difficult one, and the Pirates are making that decision in an unprecedented fashion. They are moving away from a player so aligned with the fabric of the team, with no imminent financial need nor urgency in replacing him due to age or physical erosion.

There is the chance that last season’s swoon and the sudden decision to aggressively make McCutchen available is seizing the moment, as the Pirates realize he will be financially out of their range when his current contract expires after 2018. The organization has a long history of making aggressive decisions to avoid having its back against the wall with financial losses. As a team that does not have limitless financial resources, the Pirates do not want to be left high and dry as such a valuable player simply decides to walk away. Nor do they want to be anchored to an overambitious contract that they could sign him to as a token of appreciation, despite the writing being on the wall that he is no longer the man he once was. Prestige has many times been the ghost writer of terrible contract decisions, the type that the young Pirates cannot afford to make.

Still, trading away McCutchen is much different than any other situation they could confront. Despite his decline in play, he is a beloved among the fan base and so aligned with the resurgence of the team that moving him, especially with the number of manageable years left on his contract, could trigger a massive swing of frustration and fear of a return toward the longtime norm in Pittsburgh. McCutchen’s presence has been synonymous with the revival of competitive baseball for the organization, so a decision to move past him so suddenly could cast doubt and derision from fans.

Is it a smart baseball move? Maybe. But any team could trade its best player at any point and it could be said it is "smart" baseball to flip one player for multiple promising ones, as is getting some financial relief in the process. Yet despite what sports statisticians will tell you, intangibles do exist, and McCutchen’s cross over from the clubhouse and into the stands. He is in the same class as Buster Posey, David Ortiz and Yadier Molina in regard to entrenchment with a team’s identity. That does not come easily, nor can it be replaced in any predictable fashion.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington is in a seemingly impossible position, as he must balance baseball sense against general business sensibility. He has to decide the fate of an inner-circle member in franchise history, all while not being strapped with any of the usual escape clauses that allow moving on from such a player to be understandable. There is no imminently expiring deal with a trade deadline approaching. Nor is there such a downturn in the team’s production that it seems impossible for it to compete again soon. The Pirates are solid overall and should compete again next summer. The decision that seemingly is being made though is that they would be able to do so now without help from player who carried them up to this point, just as recently as a year ago. So it is time to trade McCutchen while he still has superstar upside and then deal with the ramifications — which could easily include him getting back on his usual All-Star/MVP path — in another town. That is a career-defining type of decision to make, and bless him in doing so.

So maybe the time is right, and dealing a downtrodden McCutchen to the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers or any of the other heavily interested teams is the right call at the right time. But be aware, cornerstones are not just carved out every day, and moving the wrong piece in the foundation can mean a change in much more than just wins and losses in the team’s standings, but also its stock and soul.

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