What are the odds that the Pirates trade Andrew McCutchen?
I’m guessing good.
Go back to July 30, the day that the Pirates sent reliever Mark Melancon to the Nationals for left-hander Felipe Rivero and minor-league lefty Taylor Hearn.
The Pirates were in contention then, just three games out of the second wild-card spot. Their current position — buried in the wild-card race, six games back in the NL Central — is worse. And they just lost two of three to the expected division champion, the second-place Cubs, whom they trail by 3½ games.
It’s not out of the question that the Pirates will rally in the six weeks leading to the non-waiver deadline.