A week ago at the site, Craig Edwards endeavored to find a new home for Andrew McCutchen. The outfielder had just cleared revocable waivers and, with the Giants’ season effectively over, appeared destined to finish the 2018 campaign with another club. Which club, precisely, wasn’t clear. Whatever team he joined, however, would likely both (a) possess a reasonable chance of making the postseason and (b) feature a clear weakness at a corner-outfield spot. McCutchen, in other words, would have some value to a contending club receiving less-than-ideal production from either its left or right fielder.

To identify the most probable landing spots for McCutchen, Edwards published the following graph, featuring the projected rest-of-season WAR figures for each contender’s corner-outfield positions, with the stronger entries to the left and the weaker ones to the right. Towards the middle of the graph was a mark denoted as the McCutchen Line. McCutchen would, in theory, represent an upgrade at all the posts to the right of that line.

I say “in theory” because the WAR projections aren’t sensitive to the particular constraints of every club, nor the convictions that guide their decision-making. When Edwards published his piece, for example, the Rockies had not only just recalled Matt Holliday but had also exhibited a curious faith in its veteran players, suggesting that the club would be reluctant to find help elsewhere. A few other teams featured similar considerations.

Eventually, Edwards identified the Astros, Athletics, Cardinals, Mariners, and maybe Indians as possible destinations. And while my colleague’s logic was beyond reproach, it was ultimately incorrect. Indeed, the most relevant passage of Craig’s piece appears at the beginning of his final paragraph. “I’d be remiss,” he writes, “if I didn’t mention the Yankees, who don’t really need McCutchen given everything they’ve got in the outfield — even if Aaron Judge doesn’t come back — but if the team is looking for an extra bat, McCutchen is available to them.”

Edwards really would have been remiss if he’d failed to mention the Yankees, because that appears to be precisely where the 31-year-old outfielder is ending up — according to Buster Olney among others:

As noted, the Yankees don’t precisely need McCutchen. Even in Judge’s absence, the club still employs Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, with Shane Robinson and Neil Walker capable of doing work in the corner outfield, as well. For a club with the Yankees’ resources, however — part of which is their impressive farm system — the concept of need is different than for others. The prospect of adding McCutchen, an above-average hitter and still wholly competent corner defender, at the cost of an interesting but ultimately expendable prospect or two — well, it appears to be a sufficiently appealing one.

In terms of cost, infielder Abiatal Avelino will reportedly be included in whatever package goes back to San Francisco. Eric Longenhagen will likely have something on him later. His is a utility profile, though, with some offensive upside but also some offensive questions marks.