Andrew McCutchen Signs Minor‑League Deal with Rangers, non‑roster invite, $1.5M

Andrew McCutchen agreed to a minor‑league contract with the Texas Rangers and will report to big‑league Spring Training on a non‑roster invite, the team announced March 5. The 39‑year‑old former 2013 National League MVP can earn $1.5 million this season if he is added to the Rangers’ 40‑man roster and appears in major‑league games, a conditional payout that frames his immediate agenda in Arizona.

McCutchen arrives with three weeks of camp to press his case, a short window noted in reports that gives him an opportunity to carve out a right‑handed role at designated hitter or as a platoon option in the outfield. MLB.com assessed McCutchen as “roughly a league‑average hitter as he goes into his age‑39 campaign in 2026,” and added that “based on quality of contact, McCutchen was a bit unlucky last season — his .267 expected batting average was 28 points higher than the actual figure, and his .429 expected slugging percentage was 62 points higher than the actual figure.”

Rangers depth will be the immediate hurdle. The club already projects Wyatt Langford in left, Evan Carter in center and newcomer Brandon Nimmo in right, while left‑handed Joc Pederson is slated for the bulk of DH work. ESPN noted Carter was limited to 63 games by injuries in 2025, creating a potential opening for McCutchen’s right‑handed bat; MLB.com suggested McCutchen could form a platoon with Pederson at DH or spell Carter in outfield matchups against lefties. Mark Canha is another veteran competing for one of those roster slots.

McCutchen’s 2025 numbers read as a veteran profile: 135 games, a .239/.333/.367 slash line, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs, and a .700 OPS, per ESPN and local reporting. He has seen his outfield work decline — just 20 outfield games over the last three seasons, MLB.com noted — and he spent much of last year as a designated hitter. Even so, the career milestones remain within view: MLB.com lists McCutchen at 332 home runs and 2,266 hits, keeping 350 homers and 2,500 hits in sight.

The move ends McCutchen’s second stint in Pittsburgh. Local social media from the Pirates read, “Famalee Forever. 🖤💛 A simple thank you isn’t enough, but for now, best of luck in Texas, Cutch.” Club general manager Ben Cherington earlier emphasized the relationship with McCutchen, saying, “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.” Reports detailed an offseason in which the Pirates added Marcell Ozuna and other pieces, moves that ultimately closed the door on McCutchen returning in 2026.

What matters next is concrete: McCutchen must show enough in a roughly three‑week spring audition to warrant a 40‑man addition and trigger the $1.5 million payout. Beyond dollars, his signing offers the Rangers veteran leadership for a young roster and a right‑handed depth option against lefty pitching, while giving McCutchen one last clear path toward an 18th big‑league season and the milestones that remain within reach.