McCutchen, 39, played with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2023 to 2025, his second stint with the franchise that gave him his MLB break. In 135 games last season, the 2013 National League MVP hit .239, hit 13 home runs and drove in 57 runs. It was the 13th of his 14 MLB seasons in which he finished with double-digit home runs and the fourth of the previous five seasons in which he recorded at least 50 RBIs.
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While McCutchen can play the outfield, he has primarily been used as a designated hitter since 2022. According to Baseball Reference, the five-time All-Star has played just 20 games in the outfield since the 2024 season.
As Grant points out, what could make right-hander McCutchen an attractive option as a designated hitter for the Rangers is his .799 PPS against left-handed starters in 2025. Veteran right-hander Mark Canha has been in camp this spring and has four hits in 14 at-bats while serving as the designated hitter. Joc Pederson, a left-hander, is also on the roster and is coming off a season in which he hit .181 in 96 games with just nine home runs, 26 RBIs and a .614 OPS.
(Brett Davis via Getty Images)
If he makes the team, the Rangers would be McCutchen’s sixth MLB franchise. After beginning his career with the Pirates in 2009, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2018 before being traded again that same season to the New York Yankees. He signed a three-year contract that offseason with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers were his next stop in 2022 before returning to Pittsburgh ahead of the 2023 season.
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McCutchen has played 2,262 career MLB games and has 332 home runs and 1,152 RBI.
The four-time winner of the Silver Slugger, the Gold Glove in 2012 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 2015 said at the end of last season that he wanted to continue playing, even if it wasn’t in Pittsburgh, although he noted that he wanted to retire as a Pirate.
“That’s the goal,” McCutchen said in September. “I’m not necessarily here just to be here. It would be nice to have that opportunity, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”