And the other prospect

It's not fair to talk about Andrew McCutchen and not Neil Walker, especially because Walker suddenly seems fairly relevant to the Pirates in a more immediate sense. He's killing the ball this spring (5-for-16 with three of those five hits doubles) and seems to be improving his defense. Kevin Goldstein even thinks he might be ready for mid-season (BP subscription required).

Walker had a pretty strong year in AA last year, though he faltered at the end. I saw him play after his call-up to Indy and thought he looked pretty comfortable at third, despite all the errors he had been making. Accordingly, I'm not really surprised to hear he's adapting well to the position. After all of the strife that went into that position change for Walker, third base is actually a pretty serious position of need for the Buccos right now, as I don't see Jose Bautista ever advancing beyond a utility type player that's over-matched as an every day guy. I do think Walker should head to Indianapolis and see how he hits there, but this will be his first healthy season in a while and if he rakes there, I think Goldstein may be right. I doubt Huntington's put much stock in Bautista and I don't think he'd be afraid to give Walker a shot in Pittsburgh this year if he proves he's ready for it.