Pittsburgh Pirates legend and 2014 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen will don another uniform in 2026. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the 39-year-old is finalizing a deal to join the Texas Rangers.
According to USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale, the contract is a minor league deal, with an invite to spring training.
McCutchen spent the past three seasons in Pittsburgh and previously spent the first nine seasons (2009-17) of his career with the Pirates. Other than the Pirates, McCutchen spent 2018-22 with four other big league clubs: the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers.
In his final season in Pittsburgh, McCutchen batted .239 with a .700 OPS and 13 home runs in 135 games.
Andrew McCutchen should offer the Rangers a quality big league hitter
Despite McCutchen signing a minor league contract, he has a good chance of making the Rangers’ 26-man roster as a potential platoon bat. Outfielder Wyatt Langford has been okay to start his big league career (.247 average, .758 OPS), and center fielder Evan Carter is a question mark as he’s dealt with a handful of injuries over the past couple of seasons. Carter, in his first three seasons, has only played 131 games.
The Rangers also traded for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who will play in either left field or right field. McCutchen has played just 20 games in the outfield the past few seasons, so he likely would offer the Rangers a fourth outfield bat to play now and again or a suitable platoon bat to pair with designated hitter Joc Pederson.
Andrew McCutchen should never have worn another uniform other than the Pirates
The Pirates have a record of 516 wins and 677 losses since McCutchen was traded to the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2018 season. The deal with the Giants netted the Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds.
At the tail end of the 2025 season, there was no communication from the higher-ups of the Pirates and McCutchen’s camp about whether he would be back for the 2026 season or not. Being a Pirates legend — third in home runs (248), ninth in hits (1,781), and sixth in RBI (875) — McCutchen should have never been allowed to leave the Pirates and been given the option of having one-year deals until he decided to retire.
McCutchen would have been a solid fourth outfielder for the Pirates and a great veteran presence in their young clubhouse. Instead, he’ll offer such services to the Rangers.