The Rangers signed a left-handed pitcher. Jalen Beaks Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports on the major league contract. Signature awaits physical examination. Texas will need to make room on the 40-man roster once the deal is finalized. Beeks is represented by Frontline.
Beaks signed a guaranteed contract just two weeks into the regular season. The left-hander spent the 2025 campaign on a $1.25 million contract with the Diamondbacks. He appeared in 61 games and posted a 3.77 ERA over 57 1/3 innings. Had he not been placed on the three-week disabled list in July due to back inflammation, he likely would have been traded at the deadline.
The 32-year-old finished the season as one of the rare veterans in Arizona’s bullpen. He allowed just four runs over his final 16 1/3 innings. The primary sign for Beeks was in the middle of the road. He had a slightly below average strikeout rate of 20.3% and had decent walks and ground ball marks.
Unlike many left-handed relievers, Beeks doesn’t have a great breaking ball. He only used the cutter about 10% of the time last year. Beeks primarily throws a 94-95 mph fastball and a changeup in the low 80s, which is his best swing-and-miss pitch. As a result, he doesn’t have extreme platoon splits. Beeks allowed similar slash lines to left-handed (.218/.266/.345) and right-handed (.190/.285/.339) at-bats last year, but his strikeout rate was significantly higher when he had the platoon advantage.
Beeks will have a few weeks to prepare for the start of the regular season. It will be the second straight year the Texas bullpen has been patched together. Robert Garcia They are one of the most influential left-handers. There’s a pretty good chance he gets a chance to make the save. Tyler Alexander He will play a long relief role. Beeks isn’t a pure specialist, but he can take some left in left-field matchups in the middle innings.
Garcia, chris martin, Colwin, Jakob JunisBoth Beeks and Alexander seem confident of opening day bullpen spots. Former Reds closer Alexis Diaz He signed a one-year contract, but allowed eight runs in 1 2/3 innings this spring. He still has a few options left, perhaps heading to Triple-A.
Rule 5 Draft Feature carter baumler He must remain with an MLB team or be waived and re-offered to the Orioles. He gave up just one unearned run over 5 2/3 frames with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4-1. minor league signee Ryan Brazier and Josh Sbortz There is also a camp. Sborz had an even more impressive spring.
As Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports observed, this could also impact the team’s rotation plans. left handed Jacob Ratz He will be included in the big league roster at some point. Latz pitched mostly as a reliever last year, but he’s competing with a following. kumar rocker For the fifth starting task. Rocker has a higher pedigree, but Latz was the better pitcher in 2025. There wasn’t much of a gap between the two this spring.
If the Rangers keep Rocker as their fifth starter, they will have four left-handed pitchers in their Opening Day bullpen. Most teams prefer to use two or three left-handed relievers. That could mean Latz gets the upper hand in the rotation competition and Rocker starts the season in Triple-A.
Image credit: Rob Schumacher, Imagn Images.
