The Texas Rangers have agreed to a contract with former NL MVP and five-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen on a minor league deal, according to Evan Grant.
After spending several seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, McCutchen bounced around between the Yankees, Phillies, and Brewers before joining the Pirates again back in 2023. He spent three seasons with the Pirates from 2023 to 2025 on a reunion deal, but now McCutchen lands with the Rangers on a minor league deal.
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Andrew McCutchen Lands with Texas Rangers
GettyAndrew McCutchen removed references to the Pirates from his social media accounts.
Andrew McCutchen is 39-years-old, and obviously past his peak, but he did hit 13 home runs and drive 57 runs in 135 games in 2025 with the Buccos.
He has 332 career home runs, and a lifetime .271 average with a 125 OPS+
In 17 big league seasons, McCutchen has a career wins above replacement of 49. A five-time All-Star, 2013 NL MVP, and 4X Silver Slugger, McCutchen is one of the more decorated hitters of the 2010s and will have a strong case for being inducted into Cooperstown.
After his stellar 2013 season, McCutchen made another strong case in 2014 for MVP by leading MLB with a 166 OPS+.
Now, it’s unclear what his role will be with the Texas Rangers, but he’ll likely eventually get meaningful at-bats with the Rangers at some point this season.
The Pirates’ storybook idea when they signed didn’t exactly work out, as Pittsburgh finished below .500 in all three seasons, and McCutchen’s WAR decreased in all three seasons.
The idea is that he’ll be able to grab a bench spot with Texas, but the Rangers already have a full outfield with Brandon Nimmo, Wyatt Langford, and Evan Carter. If one of them goes down, McCutchen might be able to slot in a starting role.
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McCutchen Might be Really Valuable Against Lefties
One thing that Andrew McCutchen can bring to the Rangers is a strong platoon option off the bench.
MLBTradeRumors.com was one of the first to report this news and provided some insight into McCutchen’s upside vs. lefties:
“Thereâs little sense citing McCutchenâs career .289/.387/.514 slash against lefties, since so much of that is influenced by otherworldly production during his MVP peak. However, even over the three seasons in his late-career return to PNC Park, McCutchen hit .244/.353/.392 in 435 plate appearances. That sort of production is more solid than eye-catching, but itâd still mark an upgrade over the awful .225/.290/.363 batting line the Rangers turned in versus left-handed pitching in 2025.”
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