Anyone subscribe to The Athletic?

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Wed May 19, 2021 1:14 pm

I don't, but I got a promo from them saying they're doing a series on "key what-if scenarios from baseball history," and the today's is "What If the Pirates Hadn't Extended Andrew McCutchen?"

I'd be curious to know why that's a "key what-if" to them. Are they arguing that if he hadn't extended, he would have been traded instead going through arbitration year-by-year?

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Wed May 19, 2021 3:13 pm

I don't know about the article but if he hadn't been extended he would have been a FA in 2015. So they would have traded him in 2013 or 2014. His best years were 2012, 2013 (MVP) and 2014 and the team made the playoffs in 2013-15. They should have been able to get a great return for him in a trade at that time but the Pirates would probably not have gone to the playoffs in those years. And maybe Cutch would have been in a WS or two with another team.

BenM · Post by **BenM** » Wed May 19, 2021 3:47 pm

The focus of the article was on how much money Cutch would have made had he entered free agency straight out of arbitration. He would have been 28, in his prime and perhaps the best free agent available. The free agent years the Pirates bought out saw the beginning of his decline.

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Wed May 19, 2021 5:10 pm

if he hadn't been extended he would have been a FA in 2015.

Okay, thanks. I was assuming that 2016 would be his first free agency year.