One of the new Texas Rangers certainly didn’t expect to end up here.
Andrew McCutchen, a 39-year-old veteran and one of the greatest players in Pittsburgh Pirates history, assumed he would finish out his career with Pittsburgh, where he has spent 12 of his 17 seasons. After suiting up with the Pirates from 2009-17, he spent a few years with some other teams before returning to Pittsburgh from 2023-25. Now he finds himself with the Rangers.
He joined “The Sweet Spot” on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) and detailed his difficult split with Pittsburgh, how he ended up with the Rangers and how he hopes to contribute in Texas his season.
See the highlights of the interview below, edited lightly for clarity.
Rangers
As good as it is you’re with the Rangers, it feels a little wrong that you’re not wearing Pirates colors right now. How’s that been for you the past week or two?
Andrew McCutchen: I’m not going to lie to you man, it’s been really hard and emotional. I’m in a better place now. Leading up to, before getting an opportunity here, I was really in a place to where I was unsure. I didn’t know where I was going to be. I at one point thought I was going to be back with the Pirates, and I did everything I could over there, asked for every opportunity that I could, and they just seemed to be moving in a different direction. And I really didn’t find that out on until pretty late. And it was a very tough situation for me and my family, but yeah, once we figured out next steps to try to figure out other opportunities, and went there, I was very happy with how receptive [Chris Young] was towards me and trying to give me an opportunity here, and me also understanding where I was at and I didn’t have much time to wait around. As soon as [Chris Young] reached out and we talked, I was like, “Let’s get to work.” And I was really happy about it.
Related
How are the last few weeks this spring for you? Were there other teams talking to you, was there something about the Rangers?
McCutchen: So the last three years, I represented myself. I had no agent. I did have an agent prior to that, but there was an understanding, at least for me and my agent, and also the front office in Pittsburgh at that time, that I wasn’t going anywhere. So I was like: “I don’t need an agent as long as we got this relationship working out.” Then it got to a point this offseason, where I was like, “I think I need an agent.” Initially, this is funny, I was reaching out like an agent to all teams. I was texting the GMs and trying to hear anything back. I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of great teams, but it never got anywhere past those conversations. There wasn’t a lot of interest. There was, but they were unsure. There was so much of that that was happening. So to answer your question, when it comes to teams, it got very close with a couple, but then it kind of went stagnant. And then when we reached out to the Rangers, that’s when things ramped up. So the Rangers were, at that point in time, the only team that was, “Hey, let’s continue this conversation.” So it was very like, left, right, up, down, all these decisions. There’s all this stuff that’s happening. And I’m like, “I just want an opportunity. That is it.” If I can get that, no matter what it is, if it’s a minor league deal, if it’s an invite to spring training, I just want to get an opportunity so a team can get a look at me, and then they can make a decision and no harm, no foul. It’s a win-win, no matter what. Texas gave me that, and I was like, “Let’s get it, let’s go, I’m fired up!” So that’s how it’s been.
Related
You’ve dropped right in the middle of camp, how’s the body? How are you meshing into the new room, anyone you’re gravitating towards as far as your new teammates go?
McCutchen: My body, I don’t want to sound like, “The best shape of my life!” Everyone always says that, right? But I feel really good. My body feels good. It’s in a very good place. There was a narrative created a few years running that I wasn’t able to be in the outfield and run around, and that I couldn’t handle much of that and I’d really only become one-dimensional, and that’s just not the case. I can always say where I’m needed, availability is the best ability, and that’s what I was trying to show the team here in the amount of time that I have: how I’m moving, how I look, and knowing that whenever I’m needed, if it’s the outfield, if it’s DH, whatever, at any point in given time, I want to be able to show them that I can do that. So my body feels amazing. It feels great. And as far as relationships and talking to guys, I mean, you’re around the outfielders a little more than anyone else. I have some history with with Brandon Nimmo. We go all the way back to 2014 or somewhere around there, when he was just a little young buck starting in the Mets organization. We worked out together at a place called IMG in Bradenton. We did that a couple years running, so I got to know him a little bit and so proud of what he’s done in his career and his success. So yeah, he’s somebody that I talked to quite a bit, just because of the the history. I like to try to get to know everyone as much as I can. Everyone seems great. Everyone seems to get along well, you see them in the in the clubhouse, playing a lot ping pong in the morning, just going at it full sweats.
Marcus Semien was a leader of this team and with Nimmo, bringing you in, you guys are people that the young players look up to. Have you had a lot of interaction with the young outfielders like Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter? They grew up watching you, do they fanboy over you at all?
McCutchen: I haven’t quite gotten that reaction from those guys, but they’re very professional and I also understand myself and understand what I’ve done in my career. Understand when I was just getting to the major leagues, they were probably like, two or three years old, like a lot of these guys. I understand that. To the people around me who I don’t know and they don’t know me, I can always come off as a little quiet, but I’m not. So with those guys, I know I’ve talked to Evan and Langford, I’m starting to get to know them a little bit, just so they can get to understand my personality a little bit and understand that it’s open door policy over here. Whatever we want to talk about, you want to talk about, let’s do it. I’m trying to help in any way that I can, also understanding my situation too right now. Those guys are great, they’re great athletes, and I feel like I can, in any way that I can, help them. That’s what I’m going to do, which is what I told [Skip Schumaker] too. I said, “Dude, I’m at your disposal. Whatever you need for me, that’s what I’m here for.” I just want to help in any way that I can, lead in any way I can and just go from there.
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