The Texas Rangers continue to search for a right-handed hitter for their lineup, and they found former MVP Andrew McCutcheon to fill a needed role.
Surprise, Arizona— The Texas Rangers have reached agreement with Andrew McCutcheon on a minor league deal, multiple sources confirmed Thursday. The former national MVP seemed to confirm this himself on Twitter.
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He posted a short video of himself dismounting from a rocking horse that must have belonged to one of his children, dressed head to toe in cowboy gear. He seems totally fine with playing in Texas.
McCutchen still needs to earn his roster spot, and with just over two weeks left in spring training, he’ll try to do that with a brief but serious buildup. As a right-handed hitter, he’s on a mission to prove that he can hit left-handed pitching better than anyone else in camp.
If he does, the roster spot is his.
The deal is not yet official and the club has not commented. But the low-risk signing — McCutchen would only earn at most $2.5 million if he made the team — makes sense as the Rangers try to find a platoon partner for designated Joc Pederson and outfielder Evan Carter.
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The Rangers will be interested to see if McCutcheon is in good physical shape and how sharp he remains while waiting for the right deal. He’s a 17-season veteran, but he’s also 39 years old. The body may still be as elastic as before.
If all goes well, McCutchen could play sometime next week. If he’s not ready to play in the Cactus League, he could play in the minor leagues to catch up on at-bats.
The Rangers have been looking for a part-time right-handed bat all season. They liked Austin Hayes all offseason before seeing him sign with the Padres. On February 15, Mark Canha was added to a minor league contract as another right-hitting option.
McCutchen has a better 2025 than Cania, and he plays every day for the Buccaneers. The overall average was only .239, but he hit 13 home runs. He also posted a .749 OPS against all lefties and was 50 points better than the starters.
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McCutchen must compete with Canha, a veteran right-handed hitter, for a roster spot. Michael Helman is another right-hitting outfielder who also has minor league options.
Head coach Skip Shoemaker is also trying to rebuild the team’s chemistry, and McCutcheon can help in that regard as a veteran who has seen just about everything in the game and as a player who is considered a beloved teammate.
Presidents of baseball operations place a premium on veteran presence and player character, so McCutcheon would be a good fit in that regard, too.
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
