Andrew McCutchen turns 40 this October. Yet his desire to extend his Major League Baseball career runs deep enough that he’s willing to try and make a team to keep it going.
McCutchen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Morning News reported, ending a three-season rekindling of his relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which the club could not rekindle its days of playoff contention when the outfielder was in MVP form a decade ago.
Though McCutchen batted just .242 in his three-season reunion in Pittsburgh, he remained a league average hitter for the stint, posting a .736 OPS and 104 adjusted OPS as the Pirates continued to struggle creating a contender. This season, the seemingly open invitation McCutchen had in Pittsburgh faded away, as the club signed Ryan O’Hearn to be their primary right fielder.
It seemed a lane might exist for McCutchen to get at-bats against left-handed pitchers, but trades with Boston and Tampa Bay that added Jhostnyxon Garcia and Jake Mangum, respectively, closed that off.
So, McCutchen will aim to win a job out of the Rangers’ camp in Surprise, Arizona. The club has emerging star Wyatt Langford, oft-injured Evan Carter and recently acquired Brandon Nimmo as their primary outfielders, but several iterations remain where McCutchen is a fit, particularly against left-handed pitching.
McCutchen won the 2013 NL MVP for the Pirates and has hit 332 homers that also included stops with San Francisco, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees.
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Los Angeles Dodgers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Detroit Tigers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Milwaukee Brewers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Atlanta Braves
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: San Francisco Giants
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Chicago White Sox
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Arizona Diamondbacks
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Toronto Blue Jays
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Philadelphia Phillies
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Los Angeles Angels
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Athletics
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: New York Mets
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Chicago CUbs
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: Chicago CUbs
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb 12, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (19) warms-up during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: Seattle Mariners
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida