The Texas Rangers are looking for a bounce-back season in 2025. Their championship defense went as poorly as possible, with pitching injuries and poor performances throughout the year. The Rangers have already suffered an injury this spring to Jon Gray and brought in ex-Nationals starter Patrick Corbin to replace him. New York Post insider Jon Heyman and USA Today's Bob Nightengale both broke the news.

“Patrick Corbin to Rangers. MLB deal. $1M-plus guaranteed (a little over a million), plus a few million in incentives,” Heyman reported. Nightengale had the same with a Gray injury update, “The Texas Rangers sign veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal while placing starter Jon Gray on the 60-day injured list with a broken wrist.

Corbin finished a six-year, $140 million with the Washington Nationals last season. A great six years with the Arizona Diamondbacks earned him that deal but his contract aged poorly in DC. He led all of baseball in losses in 2021 and 2022 and the National League in defeated in 2023. His combined bWAR since 2021 is -4.0.

Who better for the Rangers to bring in for their bounce-back season than a pitcher in desperate need of a bounce-back season? Corbin will be key to Texas getting off to a good start this season.

The Rangers need a healthy season from their rotation

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Late last season, the Rangers brought Jacob deGrom back from Tommy John surgery. They were out of the playoffs when he came back but it inspired hope in the fanbase in an otherwise lost season. He is just days away from getting through spring healthy and making an early-season start for the Rangers.

When healthy deGrom has been one of the best pitchers of his generation. But in his last years with the Mets and both seasons with the Rangers, he could not stay on the field. With Gray already out, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter, and Nathan Eovaldi will make up the rest of the rotation.

Gray hitting the injured list is a tough blow for the Rangers but Corbin could come in and replace him. Without the pressure of the big-money contract that he had with the Nationals, he could put together some great innings. The last great season he had was 2019, and even his playoff performance that year was shaky. This is a low-risk, high-reward bet for the Rangers and could end Corbin's career on a high note.

The Rangers open the 2025 MLB season against the Red Sox on March 27.