Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen seems like a logical candidate to be moved at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Pirates are going to trade the veteran this summer.

It sounds an Andrew McCutchen trade won't happen unless the Pirates' star signs off on such a deal. Pittsburgh will probably only move McCutchen if he's “comfortable doing that,” MLB.com's Jon Morosi said on 93.7 The Fan.

At 36 years old, McCutchen appears to be reinvigorated. In 66 games, McCutchen is hitting .271/.394/.431. He has nine home runs and nine stolen bases for the Pirates. McCutchen has an OPS north of .825 for the first time in four years.

The Pirates are headed down the path of being sellers at the MLB trade deadline, once again. A fast start that saw Pittsburgh lead the NL Central has quickly dissipated. Just five games away from the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Pirates are seven games under .500. Even in a relatively weak division, Pittsburgh is 5.5 games out of first place. They are eight games out of the third and final NL wild-card spot.

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Because McCutchen is a veteran in the final year of his contract, he's likely to be pursued by teams looking for offensive help. McCutchen is signed to a team-friendly deal and playing well enough to help a contender.

Since making his MLB debut in 2009, McCutchen has never played in a World Series. It's possible that McCutchen would approve of a trade that places him on a contender.

McCutchen is a five-time All-Star. He won the 2013 NL MVP award as a member of the Pirates.