It looks like we're talking about Andrew McCutchen

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think we should start chatting about Charlie Blackmon

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, his presumed trade price is what I refer to, but that's obviously largely speculative. He put up .400-or-better OBPs four years in a row, which suggests he could be something like the #3 hitter I crave (even if he isn't a lefty), but then last year he fell to .336.

My feelings, I find, are conflicted.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I did a Google News search on McCutchen to see how widespread this McCutchen-Mets thing is, and to see if the noise is coming exclusively from New York or if there's similar buzz in Pittsburgh too.

My take is that we're seeing speculation that's feeding on itself in New York, and there are a few echoes in Pittsburgh, but it doesn't look like there's much to it, at least at this point.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I was just going to post that there probably isn't much fire to this smoke
thinking that nothing big is going down until after Jan 1. The Mets offices
are likely closed with a few lackies maybe pushing some papers around and
the agents and their lawyers ain't drawing up contract changes this week and
certainly not next. Next person to tweet some Mets 'news' that doesn't have
any legs to it should be banned from Twitter until Jan 1.

That is all.

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I did a Google News search on McCutchen to see how widespread this McCutchen-Mets thing is, and to see if the noise is coming exclusively from New York or if there's similar buzz in Pittsburgh too. My take is that we're seeing speculation that's feeding on itself in New York, and there are a few echoes in Pittsburgh, but it doesn't look like there's much to it, at least at this point.

Both the News & Post cited the recent Ken Rosenthal mention of talks between the two (however informal and preliminary) so that seems to be the genesis of this.

Overall there doesn't seem to be a great fit between the two teams. Pitt's #1 prospect is Austin Meadows, a 21 y/o, top-20 type prospect OF'er who's either ready to start on OD or is a 1/2 season away at worst meaning that, with Polanco & Marte both good and young, not only are the Pirates not going to want any part of Grandy or Bruce but might not even be that high on Conforto if he were to be offered.
They'll want young pitching of course but that isn't as plentiful in Queens as it was with the trade of Fulmer, health questions around Wheeler, Matz, & Harvey, the drying of the recent pipeline from the minors (unless Gsellman really is the next deGrom), the loss of Bartolo the human stopgap, and with all the young guns now one year closer to FA-gency.
Then take Rosario off the table and the WATPs become tougher to create.

[Guest cooby]

d'Kong76 wrote: I was just going to post that there probably isn't much fire to this smoke thinking that nothing big is going down until after Jan 1. The Mets offices are likely closed with a few lackies maybe pushing some papers around and the agents and their lawyers ain't drawing up contract changes this week and certainly not next. Next person to tweet some Mets 'news' that doesn't have any legs to it should be banned from Twitter until Jan 1. That is all.

Then I hope it's Trump

[Guest d'Kong76]

Lol, I don't follow him.

[Guest cooby]

Me either but it sounds like he'd be a good guy to ban

[A Boy Named Seo]

For comparisons sake, the Pirates turned down the Nats offer of Lucas Giolito (their former #1 prospect), Dane Dunning (21-year old pitcher, their 2016 first round pick), and a 'third player', sez some blowhard from FanRag.

Justin Dunn would be an easy comp for the Mets for Dane Dunning. Is Matz a Giolito comp? Both have lost a little luster, but I think Giolito's upside is still way upper. Szapucki?

Would you still play if these were the names Pittsburgh was throwin around?

[Edgy MD]

Dane Danning sounds like a former Miss Rheingold.