MLB rumors: Verdugo trade talk, Yankees telegraph targets, Aaron Nola prediction, more
By Kevin Henry
Could Andrew McCutchen return to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
That seems to be what the Pirates are pushing for this offseason as MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted that Pittsburgh is "hopeful" McCutchen will be back with the team in 2024. That came from Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, so it seems the feel-good return of the man known as "Cutch" back to the Steel City may be more than just a one-year tale.
The 37-year-old McCutchen was back with the Pirates last season for the first time since being traded away to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2018 campaign. McCutchen was solid in his return to the black and gold, posting a .256/.378/.397 slash line in 473 plate appearances. However, he was much stronger at the plate in the first half of the season, slashing .268/.383/.425 before the Midsummer Classic.
With Pittsburgh hoping to replicate last season's hot start at the beginning of the season and keep it going much longer in 2024, having a veteran bat and fan favorite back in McCutchen certainly would seem to be a win-win for both sides.
Washington Nationals listening to trade proposals?
There is also this piece of news from Morosi...
Mike Rizzo confirmed that GMs have been asking about relievers Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey in trade discussions this week. “We‘re not looking to move them, but we never say no to [considering] ideas,” he said.@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 9, 2023
While it makes sense that other teams would poke to see if there was any chance of a move, this sounds more like one team exploring a possibility, especially with both players under team control until the 2026 season.
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