SURPRISE, Ariz. — The ongoing work-in-progress that is the Rangers’ 2026 bullpen will add another veteran candidate to the mix.
Lefty Jalen Beeks, an eight-year veteran who spent 2025 with Arizona, and the Rangers were finalizing a major league deal, pending medical review and a physical, three people with knowledge of the agreement told The Dallas Morning News. The Rangers will have to make a corresponding move on their 40-man roster once the deal is finalized to make room for him.
Beeks, 32, was perhaps the best remaining bullpen option on a barren empty free agent reliever shelf. The Rangers have become more concerned about finishing out their bullpen in recent days.
The move helps address two potential issues. Lefty Jacob Latz continues to close in on a spot in the starting rotation, but moving Latz to the rotation would leave another hole in a bullpen that still isn’t completely set. Also, the recent performance of veteran right-hander Alexis Diaz, who failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in his most recent outing, has the Rangers looking for more reliable arms to help fill out the bullpen behind Chris Martin, Robert Garcia, Cole Winn, Jacob Junis and Tyler Alexander.
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Beeks offers some flexibility. He was almost equally effective against both left-handers and right-handers last year. Among the 34 lefties with at least 50 appearances, his .266 OBP allowed to lefties ranked 16th, two spots better than Garcia. Against righties, the OBP was .285, which ranked 11th. He pitched more than an inning nine times and bounced back well, pitching on consecutive days 13 times. If the Rangers keep Beeks, as expected, it would leave two spots.
The Rangers would like to keep Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler, but also know that to do so eliminates some flexibility, since he can’t be sent to the minors without first being offered back to Baltimore.
The other two spots had been wide open with Luis Curvelo and non-roster invitees Payton Gray and Gavin Collyer leading the way. Veteran Josh Sborz is also in the mix, though the Rangers would like to see his velocity inch up another tick.
But the Rangers must also manage to leave themselves flexibility to make moves. Adding Beeks could make it harder to keep Sborz out of the gate because it would leave the Rangers with no optionable arms in the bullpen. Curvelo, Gray and Collyer (if the latter two are added to the 40-man roster) would all have options and could form a trio of rotating arms that could be shuttled between the majors and Triple-A Round Rock, while the Rangers try to get a better feel for Baumler.
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