Andrew McCutchen

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen reportedly will be on the trade block this offseason, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen exited Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins after experiencing "right thumb discomfort," per the team. 

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen broke out of his slump in a big way Tuesday night, recording the second three-homer game of his career in a 9-4 win over the Colorado Rockies, per MLB Stat of the Day.

Andrew McCutchen went into the Pittsburgh Pirates' latest contest as the worst hitter in their everyday lineup. Clearly, what he needed was a slump-buster.

Or three.

There's just one way to explain Andrew McCutchen "only" finishing fifth in the National League MVP voting in 2015. The guy just had an off year. Sad, but true.

But from the looks of things, 2015 is about to be ancient history.

FINAL SCORE: Cubs 4-0 Pirates

The Cubs are moving on.

In a game that had pitcher's duel written all over it, Jake Arietta answered the call and helped lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game on Wednesday night.

Arrieta was masterful, twirling a complete-game four-hitter while striking out 11 Buccos. He worked through the game unscathed until the Pirates rallied the bases loaded in the sixth inning. However, Starling Marte ripped into a double play to end the threat.

Normally, one player stands out as the undisputed key to a team's championship run.

Last year, Madison Bumgarner stepped up and helped lead the San Francisco Giants to a third World Series title in five years.

Before that, David Ortiz launched a monster shot off Joaquin Benoit to help the Boston Red Sox gain momentum, surge past the Detroit Tigers and eventually win a championship.

Can someone put together a similar performance in 2015 and live in postseason lore forever?

Let's take a look at a critical player for each playoff team.

Last October gave us one of the most impressive one-man performances in Major League Baseball postseason history. 

Madison Bumgarner made seven appearances for the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 postseason, and they needed every single inning he gave them as they marched to their third World Series title in five years.

Bumgarner had a 1.03 ERA in 52.2 innings, and his five shutout innings in relief in Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals was one of the more memorable relief outings of any playoffs in the game’s long history.

Josh Donaldson and Bryce Harper are letting their bats and gloves do all the talking in the 2015 MLB MVP conversation.

While the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman and the Washington Nationals right fielder are the front-runners for baseball's most prestigious award in the American League and the National League, respectively, there's an assortment of other standouts who have also played their way into the MVP mix.

Pittsburgh Pirates star center fielder Andrew McCutchen is popular for many reasons. Let’s boil them down to three.