Pirates notebook: Neal Huntington addresses Andrew McCutchen's future

On a frigid Saturday afternoon at PNC Park, Andrew McCutchen's future with the Pirates — or if he even has one — loomed over PiratesFest like an approaching storm.

During the team's annual PiratesFest, there were two Q&A sessions with general manager Neal Huntington and president Frank Coonelly. Each time, the first question dealt with McCutchen.

"We don't want to see Andrew McCutchen in another uniform," Huntington said. "The challenge becomes, how do we sign Andrew McCutchen and build a championship team around him?"

On Monday, team management will head to Orlando for the annual MLB winter meetings. For the second winter in a row, Huntington will listen to offers for McCutchen.

With McCutchen entering the final year of his contract, it seems likely he will be traded.

Huntington said second contract extensions historically do not work out well for clubs. That drew audible groans from the standing-room crowd.

"There are going to be decisions we make that are better for the organization short-, moderate- and long-term that may not make sense to you," Huntington said. "We want Andrew McCutchen to retire a Pirate. We also want to win World Series championships. At times, those two are contradictory things."

If you listen to nonsense, how can expect those things to make sense? Say nothing but do everything.

" andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) December 9, 2017

In November, the Pirates triggered McCutchen's $14.75 million option for next season. That makes McCutchen, a former league MVP and a five-time All-Star, just the 16th-highest paid outfielder in the majors.

"Take a look around the industry, especially in small markets," Huntington said. "How have they been able to build championship teams around one specific player who (represents) a huge chunk of their payroll? The answer is, they haven't been able to. That's the challenge we face."

McCutchen, 31, will be a free agent after the 2018 season.

In 2016, McCutchen had his worst offensive season. He rebounded last year and batted .279 with an .849 OPS. His 2.5 WAR, per Baseball-Reference.com, was fourth-best on the team.

"Andrew McCutchen is a special man and a great player," Huntington said. "He might be a great player in his middle and late 30s. Absolutely might be."

The Pirates, who have not approached McCutchen about an extension, do not seem willing to spend the kind of money it would take to find out.

#KeepCutch

With the Tampa Bay Rays from 2010-14, Sean Rodriguez saw what it takes for a small-revenue franchise to find success amid financial struggles. With the Pirates in 2016, he saw how the Mark Melancon trade deflated everyone in the clubhouse.

Rodriguez believes the Pirates will have a better shot next season if McCutchen stays put.

"There were some moves made in '16 that kind of hurt," Rodriguez said. "A big piece of the core was chipped off. I get it, I know there's a business side to it. I'm not taking shots at Neal (Huntington) because it's not necessarily him.

"You can't eliminate something that's moving in a certain direction and take a big piece off of it. Can it work? Sometimes, but it's a low percentage. That's just the way it is. That's the game, that's the business. Hopefully, we've got enough building up that core that it doesn't matter. That's what my mind set is — to keep that core strong under any circumstances."

Rivero talks contract

Closer Felipe Rivero said he would consider signing a long-term contract with the Pirates.

"I want to stay here a little bit," Rivero said. "It's a good city to stay. Clean, very good people. So that's the main reason. I feel comfortable here, so I want to be here for a couple of years."

Rivero is in his first of four years of salary arbitration and is projected to make $3.1 million. He made $564,500 this past season.

The Pirates tendered Rivero an offer but haven't finalized a deal. Rivero's agent, Francis Marquez, is scheduled to meet with Huntington on Monday.

Money matters

Coonelly said the $600,000 the Pirates saved by releasing Juan Nicasio — who was their best reliever behind Rivero — in September will be "redeployed" to their 2018 budget.

"The Nicasio money is not much. I know people have criticized us for saying that, but it's not much," Coonelly said. "For us, the decision was move the money to 2018. It may help us some, even a little bit. You can disagree, and many have, with us for valuing the $600,000 more in 2018 than we did in '17, but that's why the decision was made."

Rob Biertempfel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.