no contract for McC - it sounds like

[Illinest]

I don't live in pittsburgh to hear the PA radio stations but I've been lurking around a bit and discovered that Pompeani just interviewed NH.

What I've read was not good. Props to anyone who can produce a transcript, cause I'm basing this off the whining that I found.


Don't want to claim any authority but I know you'll be curious until it's found. Simple version - it doesn't sound like Neil is going to pay McC what he's worth.

 

[thedddd]

He was discussing that he was going to interview him today but I missed it. I actually forgot it was going to happen. If I find it I will post it.

 

[thedddd]

Here is the interview audio link at end.

Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington Talks Acquisitions, Winter Meetings CBS Pittsburgh

 

[thedddd]

The question is at about the 5:30 mark. It doesn't sound good and NH is making it sound like McCutchen is the issue. The quote that states they "four more years with him" didn't sound good. Granted he was trying to convey until Free Agency but it didn't sound promising.

 

[steelparrot]

I think it boils down to this.

The Pirates wont give contract without getting free agency years.
McCutchen wont give up his free agency years.

 

[magnumo]

Seems to me that's exactly right.

I gotta feeling that Cutch (and/or his agent) has become enamored with his hype. People keep saying "superstar"..... and he's not that yet. In fact, he had a pretty weak second half in 2011. I gotta feeling that he wants more money that Huntington's willing to dish out, and in this case, I think Huntington's right.

The good news is that there's plenty of time yet. Hopefully, McCutchen will have a breakout season in 2012 and will thus grow into what he thinks he's worth..... and will convince the Pirates to sign him.

On the other hand:

1. If he puts up another OPS in the low 800's (after doing .836, .814, and .820 in his first three seasons)..... and/or looks as disinterested as he often seemed to be during the 2nd half of 2011, I think he'll be traded within the next year or two..... ESPECIALLY if Marte (or Grossman) continues to develop.

2. If he absolutely refuses to let the team buy out a free agent year or two, then NH should NOT give him a multi-year contract. The team will gain nothing significant with a multi-year contract over going year-to-year.

 

[element1286]

I see no reason to trade Cutch anytime soon, he isn't going to bring back anything better now, than he would in his last arb year.

 

[sychmd]

Mccutch has great raw materials, but is either very dumb, disinterested, easily distracted or uncoachable......
still makes to many circuitous routes, throwing errors, baserunning errors, and worse basestealer than chase or presley, even tho cutch has blinding speed. he also seems to have a swing for the pull and swing for the fences swing instead of a drive the ball up the middle with authority and run like hell till they get it.
his plate discipline, especially before 2 strikes, seems poor, even though he gets a lot of walks because no other real threat in our lineup when all the injuries and performances by others accumulated.
his attitude seems ok on the field, but productivity, playing to his strengths and improving his weaknesses have not been happening.
if marte is who he seems to be, then mccutcheon will be a LF for the pirates. yes, that will be a better version than presley or tabata, but for the money he is fancying in his mind, not sure he will be worth it unless some of these other areas listed above start to show the improvement necessary of a fourth year superstar.

 

[thecrow124]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. There is no real reason to pay Cutch right now. The ONLY way it works out is if we can get 1 year of FA or 2 years of team options or more. Other than that, there is no reason to stretch yourself financially when he will be very reasonably priced for 3 more years. He won't even begin to hurt the finances until his last year of arbitration.
That being said, I can only think that he wants to take less risk than the club with a long term deal. No team in their right mind shoud do that with any player that has had times in every season where he seems to forget that he is a baseball player. Every year since he was drafted he has gone through a stretch of a month or so where he doesn't hit at all and plays average defense.
I think everyone around baseball feels that 6 years and 51 million is a good deal for both parties, in reality, if he goes year to year he will make more money, so there is no reason to take that deal other than security in case of getting injured. Even if he gets injured and misses an entire season, he is still likely to make that much.
There is no reason to trade him now because we couldn't get fair value in return, we can't get fair value in return next year either, so I can't see a scenario where he is traded until after 2013 at the very earliest.