Yankees Acquire Andrew McCutchen For Stretch Run

The Giants hoped Andrew McCutchen could help lead them back to the postseason this year. Instead, with the team eight games out of a National League wild card spot entering Friday, they sent the veteran away to give him a chance to win a ring.

The Giants traded McCutchen to the Yankees on the eve of the waiver trade deadline, receiving Triple-A shortstop Abiatal Avelino and 20-year-old righthander Juan De Paula in return.

McCutchen will play right field for the Yankees with Aaron Judge still dealing with a broken bone in his wrist and “not close” to swinging a bat. The trade also gives McCutchen a chance to get back to the playoffs for the first time in three years, with the Yankees currently up 4.5 games in the American League wild card race.

 

YANKEES ACQUIRE:

Andrew McCutchen, OF
Age: 31

The 10-year veteran is no longer the MVP winner and perennial All-Star he once was, but he’s still a solid contributor. McCutchen hit .255 with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and 13 stolen bases for the Giants this year, and he played above-average right field in the spacious AT&T Park. He’s been particularly strong against lefties, batting .272/.363/.450 against them this year, a helpful strength with Chris Sale, Dallas Keuchel and potentially Sean Manaea or James Paxton awaiting in the postseason. McCutchen will slot in as the Yankees’ everyday right fielder for now, and he may keep the role the rest of the year if Judge’s wrist continues to hamper him.

GIANTS ACQUIRE:

Abiatal Avelino, SS
Age: 23

 Avelino is an athletic, glove-first shortstop who projects as a utility infielder. He has soft hands, moves well to both sides and has above-average arm strength. He is a capable defender at both shortstop and second base, although he plays a little out of control at times and makes mistakes as a result. Avelino is an aggressive hitter prone to expanding the strike zone, and he hit .252/.291/.372 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He has the power to drive balls into the gaps when he does connect, and he’s an effective basestealer with 25 stolen bases in 31 attempts this season. Ultimately, evaluators see Avelino as a flashy defender who can run and help a team off the bench, and he is close to reaching that projection.

Juan De Paula, RHP
Age: 20

The Yankees acquired De Paula from the Mariners for as part of the trade package for Ben Gamel in 2016, and he entered the year as New York’s No. 21 prospect. De Paula is a projectable, 6-foot-3 righthander who shows signs of being a future rotation piece. He attacks hitters with a low-90s fastball that touches 94-95 mph, and he flashes both an average curveball and changeup. He’s aggressive on the mound and has a knack for making big pitches, although sometimes he gets too amped up and loses his control. De Paula is still very young and many years away, but the tools are there for him to eventually blossom into a major league starter.