Texas Rangers Make Surprising Free Agent Signing

The Texas Rangers are really desperate for a depth starter for their rotation, after Jon Gray recently went down with a fractured wrist, in addition to a couple of other injury-prone arms slotted in. Appropriately, from their spring training base in Surprise, Arizona, they've made a surprising move, though, in signing free agent lefty Patrick Corbin. He hasn't had an ERA below 5.00 in five seasons.

We’ve signed LHP Patrick Corbin to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/vRvF7RQ4tP
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 18, 2025

The guarantee on Corbin's deal is thought to be just over $1 million.

He signed a six-year, $140M deal with the Washington Nationals after the 2018 season. But after a stellar first year of that contract, things couldn't have gone worse for Corbin. Over the past four seasons, he has a 5.71 ERA with a WHIP well over 1.50. He's led the majors in most earned runs surrendered three times over those four years, most hits allowed twice and most losses twice.

Corbin has allowed a batting average against of .300 since 2021, and an OPS of about .850.

And not only have the 35-year-old's innings been bad, but they've been voluminous, as he's averaged 175 innings per year over that horrid stretch.

Corbin had a 5.62 ERA last season.

After the loss of Gray and Cody Bradford, the Texas rotation currently consists of Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. Naturally, with deGrom, who hasn't had a healthy season for the past five years, as well as Mahle (who missed most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to Tommy John surgery), some depth for the rotation will be needed.

Said GM Chris Young, “There's no doubt (Corbin) is a player who has a tremendous track record of health, taking the ball and posting. The innings matter to us. I think our team's built in a way to protect our starting pitching with an offense that's going to score some runs."

Okay, then.