Overview
- The Rangers announced on May 27 that they signed veteran utility infielder Nicky Lopez to a one-year major-league contract and designated outfielder Andrew McCutchen for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot.
- McCutchen, 39 and the 2013 National League MVP, hit .192 with one home run and five RBIs in 37 games for Texas after joining on a minor-league deal and making the Opening Day roster.
- Lopez, 31, brings multi-position defense and left-handed contact hitting to the club after eight MLB seasons and recent brief stints with the Rockies and Cubs, giving the Rangers more positional depth.
- Designation for assignment starts a seven-day period in which Texas can trade, release, or outright McCutchen to the minors and other teams can claim him off waivers.
- McCutchen’s future now hangs on waiver interest or an outright assignment and could lead to a new team, a return to the minors, or retirement, with the outcome shaping the veteran’s 18-year major-league career.