Letting Andrew McCutchen walk in free agency might have made sense on paper for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but emotionally, it's a tough pill to swallow for fans. Seeing McCutchen don the Texas Rangers' colors this season is bound to stir mixed feelings in Pittsburgh.
And if McCutchen continues his current tear, the decision might not look so savvy after all. Sure, it's just Spring Training, and the sample size is small, but McCutchen is turning heads.
Just this Wednesday night, he launched his first home run of the spring:
CUTCH CRUSH 💥 pic.twitter.com/NoFSvNjBvu
- Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 19, 2026
That opposite field power is vintage Cutch.
Here's what he's done so far this spring:
- 8 hits in 15 at-bats
- .533 batting average
- 3 doubles
- 1 home run
- 7 RBIs
- 6 walks
- 3 strikeouts
At 39, McCutchen looks like he's gearing up for a strong season. Last year, he hit .239 with 13 home runs over 477 at-bats, posting a 0.1 WAR, just a tick above replacement level.
The Rangers might not need him in the lineup every day, but he'll certainly get his chances against left-handed pitching.
For Pirates fans, seeing McCutchen in any uniform other than theirs will always feel strange, logical decision or not.