To give their pitching staff extra depth, the Texas Rangers have signed relievers Alexis Diaz and Tyler Alexander to one-year deals. These signings arrive amid a broader overhaul of the bullpen, which saw multiple key arms, including Phil Maton, Chris Martin, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner, and Danny Coulombe, depart via free agency.
Diaz, 29, is a right-handed reliever who made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022. Over his first two seasons, he totaled 75 saves and struck out over 31% of batters faced, earning an All-Star selection in 2023 after recording 37 saves and finishing third in the National League in that category. In 2024, Diaz saved 28 games with a 3.99 ERA, though his strikeout rate fell to 22.7% and walk issues persisted at 12.8%.
However, 2025 was a challenging season for Diaz. He split time among the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves, appearing in only 18 games and posting an 8.14 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP, pitching 17.2 innings while surrendering 16 earned runs and six home runs, for a 3.1 HR/9 rate. Nonetheless, Texas is betting on his potential to rebound and return to the form that made him a reliable late-inning weapon in prior seasons.
Tyler Alexander, 31, a left-handed pitcher, brings experience as both a starter and reliever but has primarily pitched out of the bullpen in recent years. In the past season, Alexander threw 97.2 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox, finishing with a 2-9 record, 4.98 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 30 walks, and a 1.40 WHIP. A Detroit Tigers second-round pick in 2015, Alexander spent seven years across four major league teams, posting a 4.63 career ERA. He attended Southlake Carroll High School and pitched collegiately at TCU, both within close proximity to Globe Life Field.
The Rangers’ acquisitions showcase a strategy of low-cost, high-upside bullpen reinforcement. Diaz and Alexander join a roster that has historically benefited from signing relievers on short-term contracts, exemplified by recent seasons where veterans like Hoby Milner and Chris Martin contributed to a 3.62 ERA in 2025, ranking fifth in Major League Baseball. New pitching coach Jordan Tiegs now has the task of maximizing the potential of both signings.
These moves came alongside the signing of catcher Danny Jansen to a two-year, $14.5 million deal, addressing the team’s catching needs after releasing Jonah Heim. A career .220 hitter with a .720 OPS in 2025, Jansen played 98 games split between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee and ranks among the best in MLB at blocking pitches, bringing some much-needed reliability behind the plate to go with the newly revamped bullpen.
