I was lurking recently and saw that you had a thread about trading for Yasiel Puig. I only just glanced at the thread but I remember thinking "nice one NJH, I agree". I like that a little better than going after Cutch. I agree with the posters saying that this would be an AA move, and I think reminiscent of the Reyes and Tulo trades. Former stars who lost a bit of value and could return to form but actually maybe they won't because they're old. As cliche and arbitrary as it may seem, it's hard not to be worried about McCutchen having his worst season just as he passes the big 3-O. Combine that with the three-year decline in K% and baserunning numbers, and his stardom days could be over. That's not to say he couldn't be the 3-4 WAR player he's projected as for some years to come, but right now Pittsburgh will be marketing him as an MVP calibre player who just had one down year. His trade value has dropped but not significantly. If we're going to gamble, I'd rather it be on a younger player.