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NEW YORK (AP) — With shoulder-length dreadlocks and a well-crafted beard http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey , Andrew McCutchen spent his 20s forcing the baseball spotlight to shine bright on small-market Pittsburgh.Now, a clean-cut McCutchen is coming cross-country to one of the sport’s grandest stages.“Just gonna take me a sec to get used to my freshly shaved face,” he joked on Twitter.The playoff-contending New York Yankees acquired the former NL MVP from the San Francisco Giants on Friday for two prospects. The teams announced the deal on the last day for trades to be done for players to be eligible for the postseason. McCutchen is expected to arrive in time to debut Saturday against Detroit, when he’ll play right field, filling in for the injured Aaron Judge.“We’re getting a really good player,” manager Aaron Boone said, adding that “I think his reputation precedes him. This is as high a character person as we have in our game and I know he’ll fit well in our room.”McCutchen already knows one of his new teammates well — Neil Walker, who played with the then-long-haired McCutchen in the minor leagues, then joined him in helping the Pirates end a 20-year playoff drought in 2013. McCutchen won that season’s NL MVP Award.“I saw him for the three years that we made September, postseason pushes, elevate his game to the next level,” Walker said. “Not that he needed to do that Welington Castillo Jersey , but you saw him be the player that he’s capable of being when the spotlight’s on him. That’s fully what I expect when he steps in here.”Walker and McCutchen spoke Friday morning. McCutchen’s dreadlocks have been gone for a few years, but he was concerned about the beard he’s worn for nearly his entire 10-year career. The Yankees have a longstanding policy banning facial hair.“I told him he needed to shave his face,” Walker said. “He wasn’t super happy about that.“But he’s really excited, I’ll tell you that. He’s a guy that more than anything wants to win.”The 31-year-old McCutchen is hitting .255 with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. His .357 on-base percentage trails only that of Judge (.398) and Aaron Hicks (.365) among qualified Yankees. He was a five-time All-Star with Pittsburgh.McCutchen has been the Giants’ regular right fielder since being acquired from Pittsburgh last offseason. He will fill that spot for the Yankees, who have been without Judge since his wrist was broken by a pitch in late July. New York originally thought Judge could return within three weeks, but five weeks later, he’s yet to even grip a bat in a frustratingly slow recovery.“This is something that really helps us here and now,” Boone said. “And even when Aaron comes back, it’s another really good player to give us options to match up things how we want to. It’s just another really good player in the fold, but we believe Aaron will absolutely be back.”New York had the second-best record in the majors and was 8 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston going into a game Friday night against Detroit. The Yankees expect to activate injured catcher Gary Sanchez (groin) on Saturday and could also get shortstop Didi Gregorius (heel bruise) off the disabled list this weekend.San Francisco is getting infielder Abiatal Avelino and right-hander Juan De Paula and is also sending cash to New York. The Giants also agreed to send the Yankees $1.2 million to cover just less than half of the more than $2.45 million remaining on McCutchen’s $14.75 million salary. McCutchen can file for free agency after the season.McCutchen thanked Giants fans on Twitter “for the love and support you gave not only to me, but my family as well.”“Now David Ross Jersey , I’m ready to throw the pinstripes on and get to work. @Yankees let’s go!” he added. Giants executive VP of baseball operations Brian Sabean was sad to deal McCutchen, but the Giants are 7 1/2 games behind Arizona for the NL West.“I hope he wins a ring,” Sabean said of McCutchen. “He’s invested a lot in the game, he’s the real deal. We need more McCutchens in the game.”Sabean said San Francisco would consider signing McCutchen as a free agent this offseason.The 23-year-old Avelino was hitting a combined .287 with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and 25 steals at Triple-A and Double-A. He was ranked the Yankees’ 23rd-best prospect by MLB.com.De Paula is a 20-year-old starter who has pitched well with short-season Staten Island, going 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning. He’s ranked as New York’s 26th-best prospect on MLB.com.Slugging prospect Chris Shaw was called up from Triple-A Sacramento to fill McCutchen’s spot. HOUSTON (AP) — Ask any Houston Astro and they’ll say the same thing: Alex Bregman was made for these moments.The young third baseman was great for the defending champions all season and now that the calendar has flipped to October he’s taken his play to another level, slugging two home runs to help Houston to a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.“He loves the bright lights,” praised George Springer, MVP of the World Series last year. “He loves the big stage … he believes he should get a hit every time or make the big play or score the big run. That’s just who he is and when you have a guy like that it makes you want to do the same thing.”Game 3 is Monday in Cleveland.The 24-year-old Bregman had the best year of his career this season, leading the AL with a career-high 51 doubles, and setting career marks by hitting .286 with 31 homers and 103 RBIs. His breakout season helped carry the offense in a year where last year’s MVP Jose Altuve and star shortstop Carlos Correa struggled with injuries.“He brings joy to the team,” Altuve said. “He shows up here and lets everybody know he’s ready to play and … you see how he plays and you’re like: ‘OK. I want to join him http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , and I want to play at the same level he’s playing.'”Bregman gave Houston its first run of the playoffs this season when he hit a solo homer off Corey Kluber in the fourth inning of Game 1 on Friday. It was the first of four homers hit by the Astros in a 7-2 win. The Astros were up by 1 in Game 2 on Saturday when Bregman connected off Trevor Bauer with two outs and none on in the seventh to add some insurance in the 3-1 victory.“This is what it’s all about,” Bregman said. “This type of baseball is a blast. Everybody in that clubhouse is living and dying on every pitch. It’s fun to play these types of games.”Bregman, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, hit four homers and drove in 10 runs in his postseason debut last season to help the Astros to their first World Series title. He homered twice against the Dodgers in the World Series, and his two-out single in the 10th ended Houston’s thrilling 13-12 win in Game 5.Selected as an All-Star for the first time, he hit a tiebreaking home run in the 10th inning at Nationals Park in July that sent the AL to victory.Bregman never seems daunted by important moments despite having played just two full seasons in the majors.Manager AJ Hinch said Bregman has a “calm heartbeat” and he knows the Astros can always count on him when they need a big play whether it be on offense or defense.“I love how he describes pressure. He describes pressure as a privilege,” Hinch said. “That, to me, shows someone that gets it, someone that is going to be able to handle the moment.”Though Hinch and the Astros have come to expect this level of play from the former LSU standout, the manager sometimes takes a step back simply to appreciate his greatness.“It’s amazing to watch him do it time after time after time,” Hinch said. “We’re getting spoiled. Guys aren’t supposed to do it at this level at that rate he’s been doing.”Altuve Drew Smyly Jersey , who became the first Astro to win MVP since Jeff Bagwell collected the National League award in 1994, has been wowed by Bregman’s development this season. In a stacked MVP race led by Boston’s Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez and Angels star Mike Trout, Altuve believes that his teammate’s season was the most impressive.“Bregman does something big for us every single game,” Altuve said. “He’s the kind of player that you really want to have on your team. He had an MVP season. He’s my MVP.”Bregman isn’t interested in discussing individual awards and accolades and says his only focus is helping the Astros repeat as champions. And as much as he’s done so far, he’s constantly working to do more and get better.“This was definitely, definitely something I envisioned doing, (but) I think there’s so much room to improve on both sides of the ball, and I look forward to working on it,” he said.