Pittsburgh, PA (AHN) – The trade that sent All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth out of Pittsburgh wasn\’t financially motivated and was strictly a baseball decision, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington wrote Saturday in a letter to the team\’s fans.
The 27-year-old center fielder was dealt Wednesday to Atlanta in a four-player trade that also included outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, and pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke.
The move allowed the Pirates, who have not tasted a winning record for the last 15 seasons, to elevate top prospect Andrew McCutchen to the big leagues.
All these moves have raised eyebrows in Pittsburgh–from both fans and players–but the Pirates\’ front office is merely looking at one direction, which Huntington said is aimed at improving the team for the long-term.
\”Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500,\” Huntington wrote in the letter.
McLouth was an All Star last year after setting career-highs in homers (26), RBI (94) and batting average (.276). He also won a Gold Glove and had back-to-back 20-plus stolen bases the last two seasons.
He left Pittsburgh hitting .256 with nine homers and 34 RBI.
