The Braves released McCutchen, who did not appear with the big league team after being signed to a minor-league contract in early July.
The Atlanta Braves announced they have released outfielder Andrew McCutchen from his minor league contract.
McCutchen had signed a minor league deal with the team last month and had been playing with Triple-A Gwinnett, with hopes of working his way back up to the major leagues.
The transaction was McCutchen exercising an opt-out clause in his contract with Atlanta, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic. He most likely wants a better path to the big leagues instead of cracking his way into the Braves’ outfield.
With the recent addition of right-handed outfielder Lane Thomas to the Braves’ roster, whom they acquired from the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline, Atlanta essentially fulfilled their need for a right-handed bat at the position, while not opting to select McCutchen. He did not play a game for the Braves’ big league team this season.
McCutchen, now 39, signed his minor league contract with the Braves on July 2, a little over a month after he had been released by the Texas Rangers in late May. He had played in parts of 37 games with the Rangers this season, posting a .192 batting average in 73 at-bats.
In what turned out to be a very short stint with Triple-A Gwinnett, McCutchen had himself a solid stretch in just 30 at-bats. In nine games, he hit .333 at the plate and recorded 10 hits.
The former NL MVP with the Pittsburgh Pirates had broken camp with the Rangers and made their Opening Day roster. Now well beyond his prime, his bat has primarily been utilized as a platoon against left-handed pitching, his strong suit at the plate.
McCutchen had made his return to Pittsburgh in 2023 after playing for four separate teams in between his initial stint with the team, and performed at a very productive level. From 2023-2025, even in the later years of his career, he impressed as a league-average bat and a lefty specialist.
Atlanta’s release of McCutchen was not the only release of a veteran in their organization. Left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber and outfielder Ben Gamel were also released from their Triple-A affiliate.
McCutchen still may factor into the mix of a team’s outfield, though doing so for a contender may be unlikely for the right-handed bat now in the back half of his career. After the deadline, the Braves now add Thomas to an outfield that consists of Ronald Acuña Jr, Michael Harris and Mike Yastrzemski.
