In what has been one of the quietest off-seasons in 30 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates made some drama, as they traded all-star pitcher Gerrit Cole to the World Champion Houston Astros on Saturday, and it raised the hot question in the Bay Area of whether Andrew McCutchen will be next.
The Giants desperately need to add pieces to a team that lost 98 games last season, and fans have been impatient with the lack of moves so far. The Giants were in the mix for Giancarlo Stanton, but then he was traded to the Yankees. The Giants were also in the mix for Jay Bruce, but he was signed by the Mets. Other names have been in the mix, such as free agents Austin Jackson, Lorenzo Cain and J.D. Martinez, but the Giants are very much interested in trading for McCutchen.
The Giants are known for being hesitant to spend a lot of money, so trading for a year of McCutchen seems like the ideal move. McCutchen is likely still in his prime, and even though he had a down season in 2016, he bounced back nicely last season, hitting .279 with 28 home runs—just three shy of his career high. McCutchen would also be a defensive improvement over Denard Span.
However, the trade of Gerrit Cole could indicate that the Pirates are either starting a rebuild, or nearing it, which means the Pirates are going to want some young talent from a depleted Giants’ farm system in return. Starting pitcher Tyler Beede would seem to be the most likely choice, but he might not be enough to get it done. Beede and left-hander Andrew Suarez are both going to be competing for a spot in the rotation come Spring Training, and the Pirates may want both of them. If that’s the case, the Giants have to ask themselves whether it’s worth it to trade their two best pitching prospects for someone who could end up being a one-year rental.
Fortunately, there are better trade options. First, there’s Billy Hamilton of the Reds. Hamilton may not have the best stats at the plate, but he can sure run the bases and cover some ground in the outfield. Hamilton has averaged 57.5 stolen bases over the last four years, as he stole 56 in 2014, 57 in 2015, 58 in 2016 and 59 last year—and for those of you asking; yes, those are his actual stats. He also has a good arm, and he had 13 outfield assists last season, compared to Span who only had two. The best part is that he is going to enter his age 27 season, which means he is just entering the prime of his career.
There’s an even better option in Ender Inciarte of the Braves. Inciarte is a career .295 hitter, and while he doesn’t have as much speed as Hamilton, he can still steal 20 bases a year, and he can cover a lot of ground in the outfield. Hamilton has also won Gold Glove Awards in each of the last two seasons, and he is just 50 days younger than Hamilton.
McCutchen, Hamilton and Inciarte would all significantly strengthen the Giants’ outfield and their lineup. The Giants want to add some power since power has become the sexy thing again in baseball, but if the organization wants to trade some of its better prospects, Billy Hamilton and Ender Inciarte are the way to go. Hamilton and Inciarte could both be fixtures in the Giants’ outfield for several years to come. McCutchen most likely only has two-to-three years of his prime left, and he could very well turn out to just be a one-year rental.
Evan Longoria is not going to be enough to turn a team that lost 98 games into a contender in one year. With just one month to go until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, time is running out. The Giants need to add an outfielder or two, and they really need to choose wisely.