Bucs acquire Reynolds, Crick for McCutchen
A couple days after Pittsburgh added to its farm system by trading an impactful Major Leaguer, it's made yet another big deal that should affect its Minor League depth.The Pirates picked up prospects Bryan Reynolds and Kyle Crick from the Giants in exchange for five-time All-Star outfielderAndrew McCutchen on Monday,
A couple days after Pittsburgh added to its farm system by trading an impactful Major Leaguer, it's made yet another big deal that should affect its Minor League depth.
The Pirates picked up prospects Bryan Reynolds and Kyle Crick from the Giants in exchange for five-time All-Star outfielderAndrew McCutchen on Monday, the clubs confirmed. The Pirates also received $500,000 in international bonus pool money, while the Giants received cash considerations to help with McCutchen's contract.
Reynolds, who was the Giants' No. 4 prospect at the time of the trade, was selected in the second round of the 2016 Draft out of Vanderbilt and has shown off an above-average bat both seasons. The switch-hitter tallied a .312/.364/.462 slash line with 16 homers, 43 doubles and 167 RBIs in 177 games for Class A Short Season Salem-Keizer, Class A Augusta and Class A Advanced San Jose through his first two campaigns. He was named to the California League mid-season All-Star team and MiLB.com's Giants Organization All-Star list this past season, a campaign in which he hit .312/.364/.462 with 10 homers in 121 games with San Jose. He also participated in the Futures Game in Miami in July.
Reynolds split most of his 2017 campaign between right and center, though he also saw time in left.
"Bryan Reynolds is an intelligent, athletic, hard-working baseball prospect who does many things well on a baseball field," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement. "Bryan is an effective offensive player [who] also plays quality defense. We look forward to working with Bryan to maximize his tools and help him become a quality well-rounded Major League player who can impact a game in many ways beyond his quality bat."
Crick climbed through the Giants' system after being selected 49th overall in the 2011 Draft. The Texas native has slid in value, going from San Francisco's top prospect in 2013 and 2014 to his spot at No. 16 before the trade, but he still has plenty to offer for the Pirates. After years of control issues, Crick moved to the bullpen last spring and quickly saw the benefits, posting a 2.76 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 17 walks in 29 1/3 innings across 24 appearances for Triple-A Sacramento before making his Major League debut on June 20.
Sporting a well-above average fastball, the 25-year-old right-hander notched a 3.06 ERA with 28 punchouts and 17 walks in 32 1/3 frames across 30 games in the Majors.
"Kyle Crick is a physical, Major League-ready right-handed reliever who brings a high-velocity, live fastball complemented by a quality slider to potentially pitch in a late-inning role for the Pirates," Huntington said. "Kyle's power arsenal has resulted in a high strikeout rate complemented by inducing a lot of weak contact. After his first exposure to the Major League level last season, Kyle appears ready to take the next steps in what should be a productive career as a high leverage Major League relief pitcher."
McCutchen is headed to San Francisco after nine Major League seasons in the Steel City. He hit .279/.363/.486 with 28 home runs and 11 steals over 156 games in 2017 and will become a free agent after the 2018 season.
On Saturday, the Pirates acquired third baseman Colin Moran, outfielder Jason Martin and right-handers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz from the Astros for ace Gerrit Cole. The McCutchen trade could signal that even more deals will be on the horizon for a club looking to beef up its farm system as part of a rebuild.
Kelsie Heneghan is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @Kelsie_Heneghan.
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