Pirates' Harrison: I should probably be traded if team is rebuilding

The Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be a very different team in 2018.

In less than a week, Pittsburgh traded its most iconic player of this generation in Andrew McCutchen and its top starting pitcher, Gerrit Cole. In the wake of those departures, versatile infielder - and sometimes outfielder - Josh Harrison has become the team's elder statesman. And his time in town may also be coming to a close.

While Harrison expressed his love for the city of Pittsburgh, for Pirates fans, and for the team that brought him up, he said he'd like to be traded if the franchise isn't committed to winning in the short term, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"I love this city, I love the fans, I love my teammates," Harrison said in a prepared statement. "Saying that, the GM is on record as saying, 'When we get back to postseason-caliber baseball, we would love our fans to come back out.' If indeed the team does not expect to contend this year or next, perhaps it would be better for all involved, that I also am traded. I want what is best for the organization that gave me a chance to be a big leaguer."

The 30-year-old Harrison has one year remaining on his base contract with a pair of team options covering 2019 ($10.5 million) and 2020 ($11.5 million). He made his second All-Star roster in 2017 in a season that saw him hit .272/.339/.432 with a career-best 16 home runs in 128 games.

After sending Cole to the Houston Astros, the Pirates were reportedly more willing to deal both McCutchen and Harrison. With McCutchen now gone, Harrison will likely have plenty of interested suitors. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels have each expressed interest in acquiring him this offseason.