Josh Harrison prefers trade if Pirates aren't looking to compete

In a statement on Tuesday, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison said he would prefer to be traded if the team doesn't expect to contend for a championship in 2018 or 2019.

What It Means:

Over the last few days, the Pirates have traded starting pitcher Gerrit Cole as well as centerfielder and face-of-the-franchise Andrew McCutchen. Harrison could actually be the next one on the block, but the 30-year-old has added him own voice to those reports now. He's under club control until 2020 and is owed over $10.5 million per season over the next three years. There a few teams already showing interest in trading for Harrison's services.

Last season, Harrison slashed .272/.339/.432 with a career-high 16 home runs and 47 RBI. He also added 12 stolen bases in 128 games.