BRADENTON, FL - The biggest story this offseason for the Pirates has been the possibility of Andrew McCutchen getting traded. The Pirates came close to a deal with the Nationals during the winter meetings, and teams continue asking about McCutchen. However, the Pirates have held onto McCutchen, and currently plan on keeping him for the 2017 season.
There are several factors driving a potential McCutchen trade, but one of the big ones would be his replacement. Austin Meadows made the jump to Triple-A last year, and could arrive in the majors in the second half of the 2017 season, at the earliest.