Mar 23, 2026, 05:35 PM ET
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen will be on the Opening Day roster for the Texas Rangers as they break camp, it was announced Monday.
McCutchen, 39, who was signed to a minor league deal prior to spring training, will make $1.25 million by being added to the 40-man roster. Through Sunday, McCutchen has gone 8-for-18 with three doubles, a homer, six walks and five strikeouts during spring training games.
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He will provide a veteran presence on the bench, with Texas starting Wyatt Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center field and veteran newcomer Brandon Nimmo in right field. McCutchen’s right-handed bat could also serve as a natural complement at the designated hitter spot, where left-handed hitter Joc Pederson is slated for the bulk of the playing time.
McCutchen played the past three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club that drafted him in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his major league debut. He played his first nine years in MLB with the Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams and winning the 2013 National League MVP Award while becoming one of the most popular players in franchise history.
He bounced around with four other teams between 2018 and 2022, before reuniting with the Pirates. McCutchen played in 135 games last season, hitting .239 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS.
In other roster news, the Rangers said Kumar Rocker will be the fifth starter in the rotation, winning the job over Jacob Latz. Rocker, 26, went 4-5 with a 5.74 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 64â…“ innings last season.
Rocker will join a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore and Jack Leiter, his college teammate at Vanderbilt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.