Andrew McCutchen has signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves, just over a month after the Texas Rangers designated him for assignment.
McCutchen, 39, is expected to join Atlanta’s Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate after reporting to the organization’s Florida Complex League team to regain his conditioning.
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When the Rangers let McCutchen go, he had a slash line of .192/.277/.260 with 1 home run and 5 RBI in 83 plate appearances. He played 13 games in the outfield, split between left and right field, in addition to 23 games at designated hitter.
McCutchen could provide some depth while Ronald Acuña Jr. recovers from a left hamstring strain. He was placed on the injured list on June 10 and is expected to return in July after the All-Star break. Mike Yastrzemski (.222/.311/.333) has largely played right field in Acuña’s absence, while Mauricio Dubón (.269/.323/.419) and Eli White (.215/.261/.355) are in left field.
During his 13 MLB seasons, McCutchen was named 2013 National League MVP and is a five-time All-Star. He has a career slash average of .271/.364/.455. Last season, he appeared in 135 games in his second stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting ,239 with a .700 OPS, 22 doubles and 13 home runs.
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McCutchen is the second veteran hitter that the Braves have recently signed to a minor-league deal. Carlos Santana, 40, is also expected to join the organization’s Triple-A team in Gwinnett after working with its Florida Complex League’s club. Santana had a triple-slash average of .083/.154/.125 in 26 PAs with the D-Backs.
Even if neither veteran ends up contributing to the Braves’ major-league roster, the organization believes both players could be valuable mentors to the team’s minor leaguers, according to MLB.com.
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