It went under the radar, but the Braves quietly inked five-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen to a minor-league deal after he was released by the Texas Rangers. He’s been on the farm for a few weeks now and appears to be finding his footing in Gwinnett, hitting .400 with five extra-base hits (four doubles and a home run) over seven games — good for an OPS north of 1.000.

It’s been reported by several MLB insiders that the Braves would like to add a right-handed bat to their outfield mix, which makes sense given the production they’ve gotten out of left field — a position that was supposed to be occupied by Jurickson Profar. His suspension has really hurt the club, forcing Mike Yastrzemski into more of an everyday role, which was never the plan when they signed him in the offseason.

Acquiring someone to at least platoon with Yastrzemski should be the goal, but it’s a position group that appears extraordinarily thin at this year’s trade deadline, and nearly half the league is looking for the same thing. It could end up being very costly.

Now, I’m not saying the Braves should be seriously considering Andrew McCutchen for that role. He hit just .192 in 37 games for the Rangers before his release. But Atlanta didn’t sign him to sell some extra tickets in Gwinnett. He’s in the organization for a reason, and if he keeps raking, there’s a chance we see the veteran at some point over the final two months.

At the very least, it’s a cool story anytime a 39-year-old who’s accomplished just about everything imaginable is willing to gut it out on the farm in hopes of one last opportunity. He’s certainly doing all he can at the moment to keep that dream alive, whether it’s with the Braves or another club.

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(Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire)