The Atlanta Braves are clearly desperate to find something to help right the ship after what was a miserable month of June. It isn't hyperbolic to say that the Braves went from the league's best team to one of the three worst over this stretch. A stunning turnaround that has put all options on the table, evidenced by the fact that the franchise signed former MVP Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal over the weekend.
It is in hopes of finding a surprise source of offense, with both Mike Yastrzemski and Eli White being incredibly inconsistent. Add in recent injuries to both Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris, and it makes sense to attempt to find a surprise level of production, hoping that the aging outfielder has one last run left in him.
Even if you don't want to put an older player in the field, it gives the team a right-handed DH option, with Drake Baldwin and Dominic Smith being the team's primary options, both hitting from the left side. To put it simply, it is a no-risk move that presents only possible upside for a team badly in need of something to fall their way.
McCutchen was last a productive hitter in the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting above .230 and driving in more than 50 runners in what wasn't an eye-popping season, but a productive one for the veteran.
Braves Sign Andrew McCutchen to Minor League Deal in Hopes of Finding Surprise Answer
The number that likely caught the attention of Atlanta is the fact that the outfielder hit .267 against left-handers in the 2025 season. It is a solid level of production that could help complete Atlanta's bench and hand the team an experienced voice and accomplished hitter for younger players to lean on. There simply isn't a downside to the signing of a piece that has a real chance to make an impact.
Atlanta is going to send McCutchen to the minor leagues to get back up to speed and prove he is still capable of contributing. It will be interesting to see how patient the Braves are with the veteran and how quickly a promotion is considered.
While it is a solid move, it also speaks to the low point the Braves' season has reached, that a hitter who has struggled so mightily in the 2026 season is viewed as a viable option. Fans simply hope that June proves to be an outlier and not a sign of things to come in what has been an incredibly uneven first half.
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