The Rangers continue to pile up veteran bullpen options on the inexpensive end of the free agent spectrum.
On Tuesday, the club agreed to a reunion with right-handed reliever Josh Sborz on a minor league deal. The deal comes nearly two months after non-tendering him a deal in salary arbitration. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.
The Rangers also made the signing of right-handed reliever Jakob Junis, who agreed to a $4 million deal over the weekend, official. To make room for Junis on the 40-man roster, right-hander Dom Hamel, of Dallas Baptist, was designated for assignment.
Sborz, 32, pitched only 16 innings in 2024 due to shoulder problems, eventually underwent surgery and missed all of 2025. While his recovery had been slow, he indicated last month that he’d felt he’d turned a corner in terms of increased velocity. The Rangers, however, were in the midst of a payroll crunch and opted not to guarantee him money or a spot on the roster by non-tendering him, but had remained interested in having him return.
Rangers
Sborz had explored the free agent market to see if there was a guaranteed major league roster spot available. In the meantime, the Rangers appear to have freed up a little bit more money, as evidenced by the recent agreement with Junis on a one-year deal. In addition, President of Baseball Operations Chris Young has indicated a desire to continue adding bullpen depth.
In 2023, when he was last healthy, Sborz threw a career-high of 64 innings between the regular and postseason. He was a dynamic power arm in the playoffs, allowing just one run in 12 innings and recorded the final out of the World Series.
With Sborz and Junis, the Rangers now have a pool of veteran relievers that include Chris Martin, Alexis Diaz, Robert Garica and Tyler Alexander.
The Rangers also have emerging Cole Winn, Luis Curvelo and Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler on the 40-man roster, along with a number of prospects.
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