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2026 Transactions: Rangers Sign McCutchen, Pirates & Reds Make Trade

Originally posted on New Baseball Media | Last updated Mar 5, 2026 3:40 PM ET

Andrew McCutchen will be playing baseball in 2026. However, it won’t be with the Pirates. The former NL MVP is headed to the AL West, as the Texas Rangers brought in the 39-year-old for this upcoming season.

Rangers sign McCutchen

Per the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers are bringing in DH/OF Andrew McCutchen for the 2026 season on a Minor League deal.

This outcome would have seemed surprising a year ago, given how McCutchen wanted to remain a Pirate for the rest of his year — and the team appeared willing to reciprocate. However, Pittsburgh spent significant capital to upgrade the offense, bringing in Marcell Ozuna, Brandon Lowe, and Ryan O’Hearn.

Those moves left McCutchen without a spot on the Pirates’ 2026 roster.

Last season, McCutchen slashed .239/.333/.367 with 13 home runs and 35 extra-base hits as the Pirates’ primary designated hitter. He was still one of the best in terms of getting on base, as his 12.2% BB% ranked in the top 35 of the Majors among players with 350 or more plate appearances last season.

Pirates & Reds swap players

On March 4, the Pirates and Reds made a one-for-one trade. Kyle Nicolas, part of the Pirates’ bullpen group last season, was flipped to the Reds for Tyler Callihan.

Callihan, now 25 years of age, was a third-round pick by the Reds in 2019 and made his MLB debut last season. However, it wasn’t a long one, as Callihan suffered a left forearm fracture after he got his arm in a precarious position after attempting to make a defensive play in Atlanta back in May.

The new Pirate is a toolsy player who stole 20+ bases in 2023 and 2024. He turned a corner in 2024 when he hit nine home runs and 21 extra-base hits over 73 games in the Minors.

Nicolas is a 27-year-old reliever who has a hard fastball, regularly sitting in the upper-90s, along with a slider and a curveball. He worked in 82 Major League games over the last two seasons.