Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates fans angry over trades, longest-tenured player wants out

Pittsburgh Pirates' Josh Harrison (5) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a walk-off home run to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and break up the no-hitter by Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

PITTSBURGH — The hits keep coming for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Over the weekend, Gerrit Cole got traded, then the face of the franchise, Andrew McCutchen.

Now, the longest-tenured player, Josh Harrison, says he wants out.

The bad news is too much for Pittsburgh fans to handle and now many are saying they are done with PNC Park and the Pirates franchise.

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Harrison told The Athletic that if the Pirates don't plan on being a contender in the post-season this year or next, then he wants a trade to someone else.

That anger with the franchise is spilling over to fans who say they're not surprised, but still upset about the McCutchen trade and the team's most popular player heading out of town.

"There goes the baseball season," said Jimmy Coen, who runs Yinzers in the Burgh in the Strip District.

He told Channel 11 until a few years ago, he couldn't count on Pirates merchandise selling, but players like McCutchen and Cole had people buying gear again.

Pirates GM news conference

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington is talking about the trades of Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen: http://on.wpxi.com/2DgGFX4

Posted by WPXI-TV Pittsburgh on Monday, January 15, 2018

"McCutchen was the face of the team for a long time and losing a guy like him, he's been nothing but good for the city, that's going to hurt," Coen said. He thinks some of the recent trades of some of the big names will cost him business.

Some fans have already said this is it for them and they won't be buying tickets to the games.

RELATED: Andrew McCutchen: Face of the Pirates franchise no more

RELATED: Pirates trade Gerrit Cole to Houston

"They're in a division where everybody is trying to upgrade themselves and it looks like the Pirates are going the opposite way," said fan John Czapleski.

The Pirates have made no mention of trading Harrison.

Bob Nutting said the decision to trade McCutchen was among the hardest in his tenure as Pirates chairman.

 

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