Tuesday night, on MLB Network Radio, Pirates GM Neil Huntington said about trading Andrew McCutchen,
“Never say never. If someone wants to back up the truck and give us one of those organization-altering deals, it’s something that we’d have to listen to, but there are some players on our club that are extremely difficult to move. It would have to be a dramatic overpay on the part of the other club.”
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Who is ? He’s a five-tool player who hit .259/.364/.456, with 23 homeruns, 23 stolen bases, and a 5.7 fWAR at the age of 24. If any player projects to be a superstar, it’s McCutchen. That type of immediate right handed power and outfield depth is certainly lacking in the Yankees’ farm system, and is something that needs to be addressed in the future. McCutchen does so at a relatively cheap salary, but at one huge cost.
The package required to take McCutchen from the Pirates would be monstrous. The prospects would likely include all your favorites, Manny Banuelos, , Gary Sanchez, and more. You would be trading the immediate farm system for almost a guaranteed star. As painful as it would be, the Yankees can afford it. Aside from their need in the outfield, the Yankees have a long term plan at every position. The top prospects preparing to join the team most immediately aren’t necessary, and following the Yankees’ recent maneuvering, would likely become trade bait anyway.
If the Yankees are truly looking to trade their young excess pitching for a young bat, they should aim for the best they can, . He answers a lot of the Yankees’ questions about the future. With almost all high-ceiling prospects leaving the organization in a deal, there is a large gamble involved with a deal. That would be a gamble I’m willing to take.
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26 Responses to Would You Trade The Farm For Andrew McCutchen?
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TIQ IQ
My gut reaction was OH HELL YES, but after thinking about it for a few seconds…no. A package that includes Banuelos, Betances, and Sanchez pretty much robs the system of any high-upside talent, save for Mason Williams and Jose Campos and both of them are so far away. It’s tempting, but I say no go.
Mason Williams and Jose Campos might even be included in a package.
One thing is that, with so many high upside players in the low levels, the farm system could be good as new within a couple of years.
No it wouldn’t. Most lower level talent won’t help til 2015-16. And other than Campos there is nobody even close to Banuelos and Betances in upside.
Furthermore, thoe whole notion of “trading the farm” in the wake of the new CBA is ludicrous. Yanks will have few avenues to secure top new talent. Trading three for one ofr, as you suggest, even five for one, will create huge gaping holes that would have to be filled with ever more costly free agents.
Really,nothing personal here but this about the weakest argument I’ve seen on this excellent website.
Noooooooooooooo, way I would give up the farm for him even though he’s very talented it took the Yankees a while to build this farm system. Sorry for me if a package of Hughes, Gardner, Santana and maybe Betances can get it done than I’d go for it or else sorry no Mccutchen for us.
Def tempting. At the cost of Manny,Betances,Sanchez and Williams I’d have to say no.
If that’s the cost, way too high. Even if the value is equivalent, which I doubt, it’s risky putting all your money on one guy, however talented. If McCutchen pans out, we’ll get our chance once he hits free agency.
I can agree with you more, you need to have 6 years on MLB service time for free agency and he already has 3 at age 24.
He’s under team control until 2016, he has four years of team control left.
f***.
one year off
I like Mccutchen and I’d be willing to give up a heck of a lot for him, but can you really call a guy who hit .259 last year a 5 tool player? 23 steals 10 caught steals, how good is his base running tool? 23 homers as a career high, How good is his power tool? Budding superstar that’s regressed each year since his rookie season, what’s his real ceiling? The hype far exceeds the talent, though the potential is obviously there and he’s already a well above average player.
Regressed?
A 5.7 WAR is the best of his career. I think you’re reading too much into the average. He can steal bases, he will develop even more power, he’ll hit for contact, he draws walks, he can field, and he can throw.
If he was on the Yankees in 2011, he’d have ranked between Granderson and Cano in terms of position player WAR.
Yeah, his BABIP dipped below .300 last year which probably explains the dip in BA but since his BB rate jumped up to 13.1% his OBP dipped only .001 and his ISO increased to .191 from .178. Over the last 3 seasons he’s actually been remarkable consistent in OBP (.365, .365, .364), SA (.471, .449, .456), wOBA (.368, .363, .360) and wRC+ (125, 125, 129). His UZR is all over the place (-1.8, -12.9, 3.3) which I’m not sure how to interpret.
I’d be willing to trade one of the Bs, Sanchez and Williams for McCutcheon. I’m pretty sure Huntington would hang up on me – today. But, if at the end of this coming the season Pirates don’t think they’ll be contending before McCutcheon hits FA they might give a different answer.
As long as we are going with hypothetical situations if the Yankees are going to empty the farm for a young super talented outfielder I want Justin Upton.
This is a really stupid suggestion and I’m glad most of you have the sense to agree. Typical nearsighted garbage that makes other Yankee faithful appear stupid. Very disappointing
What would be a good comp trade? Can’t remember the last time an org traded their franchise player when he was 25 with 3 years of team control left. I’d imagine at the minimum it’d cost Banuelos, Sanchez, Williams and another pitcher like Campos, Betances, Warren, Phelps etc. Rememer Cashman has matched up with the pirates GM a few times before, and the pirates have done well to turn guys like Karstens and Ohlendorf into useful players, so I think we have an edge- they like and believe in our system
You are out of your mind if you think Brian Cashman would dump the farm system in a deal like this and over pay when he has spent years turning down such an idea for guys like Johan Santana and Cliff Lee and a few others. Why would he do this deal when he has 2 center fielders and a top 73 BA prospect for Center field on the fast track.
Is McCutchen a fantastic young player? Yes I have had him in my keeper league for 3 years and holding onto him…but it is a needless reckless move when a corner outfielder is an easy pick up and you are always better holding onto depth of talent than throwing all your cards. Based on need and demand…this deal has no reason to it.
Agreed with some of the other comments. I don’t really see McCutchen as a major need because of 2 centerfielders on the roster, and a lot of minor league depth at the position. I’d rather use the chips for an impact corner outfield bat.
Deeply, deeply curious what position McCutchen would play and why the Yankees would need to trade every prospect with a pulse to acquire him.
I would keep Banuelos out of the deal.
Hughes, Betances, Sanchez, Heathcott and Brett Marshall might be enough.
In two years or so, the Pirates will be really interested in trading him, as there’s no way he’ll stay in Pittsburgh once he hits free agency. He’ll still cost a lot, but the price will come way down. The Yanks don’t need him now, or even next year, since they can either re-sign Swish or find a short-term replacement. If he’s the big target, I say wait until the price comes down as he gets closer to free agency.
Wait…. The guy is obviously very talented, but a .820 OPS, 46th in MLB, is not exactly Superstar. First off… Scouts have said that Sanchez might be as good as Montero… maybe better because he can Catch. You don’t trade that. Manny was rated almost as highly as Montero.
The trade propsal in the article is simply the worst, most insane idea, I have ever heard on a Yankees blog. Mike, you MUST be a closet Red Sox fan.
I’ll bet in 2 years, you wouldn’t even trade Sanchez for him straight up.
I dont think the Yankees should trade for him at all. We have many potential CF in Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, and Ravel Santana. We have two now in Gardner and Granderson. No need to empty the farm for him. I do think the Yankees should use their farm system to make a trade because of the wealth of pitching, catching, and center fielding prospects, but not to trade for a position that is already a strength.
I’d be careful calling center field a strength. Santana, Williams, and Heathcott still haven’t even reached AA and Granderson should not be re-signed after 2013. It very well could be a strength if all 3 of those prospects pan out, but the it’d be more likely none do than all do. I do agree with the overall point that we don’t need to trade for Andrew though.
I’d still like to see Gardner move to CF and have Granderson traded for a corner outfield bat next season after his option is picked up. His value would be at it’s peak, and I have no faith in his skill set to hold up offensively or defensively into his mid or late 30′s. Trading him is a much better option than letting him walk or extending him, which would be the worst of three options.
why? why gut the farm for a right-handed bat when Granderson is pretty damn good, and Sanchez might be a better right-handed bat than the guy and Sanchez would be only part of the cost.
No way the yankees would trade there farm for Andrew McCutchen, he only a 250 to 270 hitter not good.Every team want to get young, so are the yankees. So why trade 4 for 1,make on sense. We,s have our center feild in William, Santana, Heathcott,Aquino, Almonte, Calderon,Sosa, Brown, Duran they are in the system,