03/05/26 10:26:00
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03/05 10:24 CST Andrew McCutchen, 39, and the Texas Rangers agree to a minor
league contract, AP source says
Andrew McCutchen, 39, and the Texas Rangers agree to a minor league contract,
AP source says
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer
The Texas Rangers and veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to a minor
league contract on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The
Associated Press.
The person confirmed the agreement to the AP on condition of anonymity because
the contract had not been finalized and a physical exam still needed to be
completed. The 39-year-old McCutchen would make $1.5 million this season while
playing in the major leagues if he's added to the 40-man roster, the person
said.
McCutchen has three weeks of spring training to show the Rangers he's worth a
spot. They're well-positioned in the outfield with rising standouts Wyatt
Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center field and veteran newcomer
Brandon Nimmo in right field.
Still, Carter was limited by injuries to 63 games in 2025, so depth is a
concern that McCutchen could help alleviate. His right-handed bat could also
serve as a natural complement at the designated hitter spot, where left-handed
hitter Joc Pederson is slated for the bulk of the playing time.
McCutchen played the last three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club
that drafted him in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his
major league debut. McCutchen played his first nine years in MLB with the
Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams and winning the 2013 National
League MVP award while becoming one of the most popular players in that
franchise's history.
McCutchen bounced around with four other teams between 2018 and 2022, before
reuniting with the Pirates. He played in 135 games last season, with 13 home
runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS. When the Pirates reported to spring training last
month, general manager Ben Cherington publicly kept the door open to bringing
back McCutchen, but the signing of veteran Marcell Ozuna effectively eliminated
a spot on their roster for him.
"No matter what, Andrew's a Pirate and certainly our desire will be to continue
to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that
looks like," Cherington said then.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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