These new Rangers could be options at closer
Kennedi Landry
@kennlandryThis story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry's Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers needed to rebuild their entire bullpen this offseason.
After all, the club lost four relievers from the 2024 bullpen -- closer Kirby Yates (61 2/3 innings), setup man David Robertson (72 innings), high-leverage arm Jos¨¦ Leclerc (66 2/3 innings) and lefty Andrew Chafin (19 1/3 innings) -- and also swingman righty Jos¨¦ Ure?a (109 innings).
The Rangers will also be without Josh Sborz for at least the first two months of the season. The right-hander had an injury-riddled ¡®24 season, throwing just 16 1/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA.
Most of those relievers have since signed with other teams, including Yates with the Dodgers and Leclerc with the A¡¯s. The Rangers, on the other hand, have been full steam ahead rebuilding their bullpen.
With a week left until Spring Training, Texas has done its best to replenish the relief arms. The Rangers have added the following pitchers:
? RHP Jacob Webb
? RHP Chris Martin
? RHP Luis Curvelo
? LHP Hoby Milner
? LHP Robert Garcia
? RHP Shawn Armstrong
That being said, it¡¯s hard to ignore that in Yates (1.17 ERA in 2024), Robertson (3.00 ERA) and Leclerc (4.32 ERA), the club lost pretty much every single high-leverage option it had, and Sborz will be on the injured list to start the year.
So let¡¯s take a look at the Rangers¡¯ bullpen additions who are most likely to be running to the mound in the ninth inning come Opening Day.
¡°I've said this before, how many times have you guys heard me, you know that to have a successful season, you need a surprise or two,¡± said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. ¡°With the talent that we have in our bullpen, that's where we¡¯re hoping somebody steps up and handles things. I'm not talking about just a closing role, but those high-leverage situations, too. We want them to do what we really believe they can do and get them to know and believe they can do it.¡±
RHP Chris Martin
Whether Martin closes or not, the Rangers needed an experienced arm down in the bullpen. He provides just that.
Martin posted a 3.84 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 84 games with Texas from 2018-19, but most recently, he had a 3.45 ERA in 45 relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2024.
He had a career year in Boston in ¡®23, when he posted a 1.05 ERA in 51 1/3 innings while finishing 12th in American League Cy Young Award voting. Martin has never been a full-time closer in his nine-year big league career, but he can almost definitely step into that role or work as a setup man in ¡®25.
¡°I've obviously never been a set closer or been given that role,¡± Martin said when meeting with the media via Zoom. ¡°Obviously, I think I can do it. It's not really something that bothers me. I think it's basically the same as doing the sixth, seventh or eighth. Your goal is to go in there and get outs without runs on the board. That would be my mindset. But I just want to be able to do whatever role Bochy wants me in to help the team win. That's what I'm looking forward to doing.¡±
RHP Jacob Webb
Webb pitched in 60 games for the Orioles in 2024, posting a 3.02 ERA in 56 2/3 innings. He had career bests in innings pitched and strikeouts (58) before getting non-tendered by the O¡¯s on Nov. 22.
While not as experienced as Martin, he still brings a stable presence to the back end of the bullpen for the Rangers. President of baseball operations Chris Young even emphasized that Webb wanted to be in Texas specifically, and the right-hander reiterated that he was drawn to the culture throughout the organization.
¡°The bullpen is a weird and crazy place sometimes,¡± Webb said at an event with Double-A Frisco. ¡°I think it¡¯s just about having a good group of guys that are all on the same page and working together. ¡ Whether it¡¯s a setup role or closer role -- every guy, I think, aspires to be in that kind of role, but for me, personally, it really doesn't matter. I like the unknown. I like being on my toes all the time.¡±
LHP Robert Garcia
The Rangers acquired Garcia in the Nathaniel Lowe trade with the Nationals. The lefty posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over a career-high 72 relief appearances for Washington, but his peripherals were much better than the numbers showed. His xERA of 2.53, according to Statcast, was much lower than his actual ERA.
He ranked high among Nats relievers in strikeouts per nine innings (1st, 11.31), strikeouts (2nd, 75) and innings (4th, 59 2/3). His 11.31 strikeouts per nine figure was the second highest by a qualified left-handed reliever over a single season in Nationals history, trailing only Sean Doolittle¡¯s 12.00 in 2018.
¡°I'm very happy to be here,¡± Garcia said at Rangers Fan Fest. ¡°At this point, nothing has been discussed about roles, but I think I'm very comfortable in whatever role comes my way. I feel very confident in my abilities as a relief pitcher. So I'm not really worried about that. I'm just going in with the open mind of, ¡®Hey, let's be ready, make sure I¡¯m available.¡¯ I believe I¡¯m good enough to get anyone out. So I know that.¡±