Well, it is October. Baseball is finally coming to a close. Of the post-season teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates were not one of them. After having the second best record in baseball a year ago, the Pirates have a losing record yet again. Between injuries and trades, the team just lost all their momentum.
Was it simply an off year? What kind of moves need to be made? All these speculations are swirling around, and the biggest question all fans of the team face is what will happen to Cutch.
Andrew McCutchen, the golden boy for the black and gold, had a rather underwhelming year at the plate. His strikeouts were up, batting average was down, and he just didn't look the same. Rumors have started to circulate that the organization might trade the fan favorite.
He has been with the team since the team still was putting together their record-setting streak of losing seasons. He has won an MVP award and is undoubtedly a key figure on the team.
That being said, he is not producing at the same level anymore. It very easily could have been just a down year, but I think trading him could be a smart move.
The team has a mess of young talent, and that talent is definitely blossoming into something nice. Starling Marte is turning into an all-star, and their in-field has been getting the job down with their gloves and bats. He simply didn’t recreate the numbers he needed to still stick with the team. If he still played at that caliber, the team probably would be fighting for a championship.
It is one of those decisions that isn’t easy to make, but I think it is time. He is one of my favorite players because he made the Pirates fun to watch, but now he is hurting the team. Was he the only person that was holding the team back? No, he wasn’t. Their pitching staff needs a total renovation, but I think it is time for a new era to be ushered in for Pittsburgh. It is time for one of the other players to take the helm for the team. That only happens if the role is vacated.
As much as it hurts to say this, McCutchen is like his dreadlocks, gone.
