The Texas Rangers brought a notable name into the fold during spring training when they added five-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen on a minor-league deal.
He is certainly nearing the end of his career and isn’t the All-Star he once was, but could provide some depth going forward for Texas.
Here are five things to know about McCutchen.
1. The basics
Rangers
Name: Andrew Stefan McCutchen
Born: Oct. 10, 1986 in Fort Meade, Fla.
Height: 5-10 Weight: 190 pounds
Position: DH, OF
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Draft: Selected by the Pirates with the 11th overall pick of 2005 MLB draft
2. Former MVP
McCutchen’s best season of his 17-season career came in 2013 when he won the National League MVP with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won the award over Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina.
In his MVP campaign, McCutchen compiled 7.8 bWAR, 21 home runs and 84 RBIs while slashing .317/.410/.542 with a 157 OPS+ that season. He did all that offensively while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field. McCutchen won the center field Gold Glove in 2012 and claimed an outfield Silver Slugger each year from 2012-15.
3. Why he’s in Texas
Why did McCutchen, who turns 40 years old in October, decide to sign with Texas during spring training?
McCutchen, who spent the last three years with Pittsburgh, offers the Rangers a potential right-handed bat for their lineup. Most importantly, he brings some pop against left-handed pitchers, as he logged a .743 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2025. With Joc Pederson as the team’s primary DH against right-handed pitchers, McCutchen could be a platoon option for the Rangers and bring some competitive depth to camp.
He could earn $1.5 million in base salary if he makes the team and could push it up to $2.5 million with performance bonuses. After signing with the Rangers, McCutchen posted a funny clip on social media revealing he was ready for Texas with some fitting attire.
4. A Pittsburgh legend
Beyond the fact he’s one of six players to win MVP with the Pirates and the only player to win the award since Barry Bonds did so in 1992, his name is littered throughout the franchise’s all-time leaderboard.
He ranks third in franchise history in home runs (248), sixth in RBI (875), 10th in runs (986), ninth in hits (1,781), fourth in walks (885), fifth in extra-base hits (644) and ninth in total games (1,713).
5. Quite the football player
In a 2024 appearance on Mookie Betts’ podcast, McCutchen revealed he had a scholarship offer to play both baseball and football at the University of Miami.
“I get a phone call from the head coach for our high school football team,” McCutchen said. “He calls me [and] he goes, ‘Hey, congratulations. Miami called [and] they want to give you an offer. They want to offer you. I’m like, ‘What?’ [He said] they you want to give a full ride to play football. And I sat there and I’m like I ain’t played football in two years. I was kind of in shock, and I was like, ‘Nah, man, I’m getting drafted.’”
McCutchen, who said he hadn’t played football since tearing his ACL during his sophomore year, ended up signing with the University of Florida before he was drafted by Pittsburgh and decided to go pro out of high school.
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