The Texas Rangers play in the American League West, which has looked like the most winnable division in Major League Baseball for the first two months of the season.
At 25-29 through May 26, the Rangers can catch the first-place A’s (27-29) in the span of a single series. Two games against the Houston Astros, the Rangers directly ahead of them in the standings, loom on their immediate schedule.
More news: Former Braves All-Star, Rookie of the Year, Dies
The Rangers weren’t likely to get there with Andrew McCutchen. The former National League MVP is batting .192 with one home run in 72 at-bats, a shadow of the player he was during his prime years with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
So it was that Texas made the difficult but necessary decision to designate McCutchen for assignment May 27.
At 39, McCutchen’s time on the Rangers’ 40-man roster is over. His days in MLB might be over, too.
More news: Craig Kimbrel’s Rays Debut Pushes Him Closer to MLB Record
In 18 seasons with the Pirates, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, McCutchen has racked up 2,280 hits, 333 home runs and 1,157 RBIs.
But the veteran outfielder hasn’t been an above-average hitter by OPS since 2024. McCutchen turns 40 in October and is the oldest position player in the American League.
More news: Mets Promote Prospect, Stirring Uniform Number Controversy
The Rangers are scoring a meager 3.91 runs per game, 25th in MLB. McCutchen’s .537 OPS was doing little to justify his roster spot on a team struggling to score.
It was a poor follow-up to a strong spring training in which McCutchen slashed .429/.556/.714 in nine games after signing a minor league contract with Texas on March 6.
More news: MLB Umpire Leaves Game After Enduring Unluckiest Inning Ever
In a corresponding roster move, the Rangers signed left-handed hitting infielder Nicky Lopez. The journeyman is batting ninth in his Rangers debut.
If this is the end of the road for McCutchen, he will finish his career with five All-Star Game appearances, four Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove Award, and a Roberto Clemente Award in addition to his 2013 MVP nod.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
Read the full article here
