The Pittsburgh Pirates have been aggressively shopping Andrew McCutchen, and it seems that they may be close to finding a suitor.
According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Pirates and the Washington Nationals have accelerated trade talks over McCutchen, with Washington hoping to strike a deal by the end of the day Thursday, in part because they would like to be able to nontender shortstop Danny Espinosa before Friday’s deadline.
The Pirates are seeking controllable starting pitching in any McCutchen deal, so Joe Ross and Reynaldo Lopez are names to watch in terms of a possible return.
McCutchen would likely play center for Washington, allowing them to shift star rookie Trea Turner to shortstop.
We’ve known for some time that McCutchen was available, and there seems to be some motivation on both sides to get something done. Don’t be surprised to see McCutchen shipped away rather quickly.
