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One of the subplots of the 2016-17 offseason has been the Pirates' efforts to trade outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

This past season, McCutchen struggled offensively, defensively, and on the basepaths, so there's reason to be concerned about premature decline. However, he's not far removed from a 2012-15 peak that saw him put up an OPS+ of 157 and finish no worse than fifth in the NL MVP balloting. As well, McCutchen is a beloved figure and the face of the baseball renaissance in Pittsburgh.

Given all that, it's a bit jarring to ponder McCutchen in a different uniform. However, the Pirates are a team of limited resources, and they need to get younger and cheaper whenever possible. That leads to roster churn and, on occasion, some painful goodbyes. Recall that last December, GM Neal Huntington dealt Pittsburgh native and Pirate lifer Neil Walker to the Mets.

With McCutchen owed at least $15 million and going into his age-30 season, the Pirates aggressively shopped him leading up to the winter meetings. Obviously, such a trade hasn't yet come to pass, and it's entirely possible that McCutchen will spend all of 2017 in a Pirates' uniform. Beyond that, though, things are uncertain.

On that point, here's McCutchen's recent money quote via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

That doesn't sound particularly optimistic. For a while, it was assumed McCutchen and Pirates would work out another long-term contract before his 2018 club option played out, but then came his broad-based struggles in 2016. That, perhaps, changed the long-term calculus for the Pirates' front office.

Rare is the player who sticks with one team for his entire career, especially in the era of free agency. For a long time, it seemed McCutchen might have been one of those players, but things can change hurriedly.

While McCutchen's legacy as a Pirate legend is secure, his long-term status as a member of the team presumably isn't. For further evidence, check out this quote from team brass:

That's an answer that at once says nothing and says everything.

Notions of loyalty are misapplied when you're talking about multi-million-dollar decisions. However, when we do invoke loyalty, it's typically as a cudgel against the player -- you know, when a formerly beloved performer signs with a rival. However, "loyalty" works both ways, which we too often forget.