Andrew McCutchen was supposed to be done. A lot of people in baseball thought so, anyway — and some apparently said it to his face.
Instead, the 38-year-old outfielder and designated hitter earned a spot on the Texas Rangers’ 26-man Opening Day roster this week, capping a remarkable spring training audition that began with a minor league contract signed less than three weeks ago. He beat out veteran outfielder Mark Canha for the final bench spot, turning what looked like a long-shot tryout into a legitimate big-league job.
“I was wrote off in a lot of places, honestly told to retire,” McCutchen said. “But I knew deep down there was something in me that told me that there was still more in the tank and that I could continue to keep playing.”
A Spring That Left No Room for Debate
Whatever skepticism existed around McCutchen heading into camp, he made it hard to ignore the numbers. In seven spring training games, he batted .444 — 8 for 18 — with three doubles, a home run, and seven RBIs. That’s not a fluke line. That’s someone who came to work.
Rangers management didn’t overthink it. “There were a number of factors that went into it,” the club noted, “but ultimately we felt like Cutch earned it just with his performance.” Clean and simple. He hit, and he’s on the team.
Still, making the roster is one thing. Staying there is another, and McCutchen seems acutely aware of that distinction. “This is the beginning of for me to continue to keep doing what I’ve been doing since I got here,” he said. “And understanding that just because I’m here doesn’t mean that I’m here to stay.” That’s not false modesty. For a player on a minor league deal that converted to a $1.5 million major league salary, every game carries weight.
Seventeen Seasons and Still Counting
How does a player get here at 38, still competing for roster spots? It helps to have compiled a résumé like McCutchen’s. Over 17 major league seasons — the bulk of them in Pittsburgh, where he was a franchise cornerstone and five-time All-Star — he’s a .271 career hitter with 332 home runs and 1,152 RBIs across 2,262 games. That’s not a guy hanging around on nostalgia. That’s a legitimate baseball player.
Last season with the Pirates, he batted .239 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs in 135 games, with the majority of his appearances coming as the designated hitter. Not a star turn, but not an embarrassment either — and it was enough to keep the phone from going completely silent.
In Texas, he’ll slide into a similar role. Manager Bruce Bochy explained the plan plainly: “He came in and performed well right away. He fit right in in the clubhouse, can still play the outfield at times. I don’t think you’ll see him all the time out there, but if we need him, he’ll play out there.” Versatility, veteran presence, and a bat that apparently still has some pop — that’s the package the Rangers are buying.
Something Left in the Tank
There’s a particular kind of stubbornness that separates players who hang on too long from those who manage to squeeze out one more chapter. McCutchen seems to understand the difference — and seems determined to land on the right side of it.
Whether he does or not will play out over the next six months in a Rangers lineup that has its own larger ambitions. But for now, at least, the guy they told to retire is showing up to work in a major league uniform. That’s not nothing.
“I knew deep down there was something in me,” he said. Sometimes, it turns out, you’re the only one who does.
