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Rangers sign veteran pitcher to minor league deal
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- Rangers sign veteran pitcher to minor league deal
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On Friday morning, the Texas Rangers signed veteran right-handed pitcher Joe Ross to a minor league contract , adding experienced depth to their pitching system.
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Ross, 33, was recently released by the Arizona Diamondbacks after previously being designated for assignment following a brief major league stint in which he allowed 3 2/3 innings of work. He originally made Arizona's Opening Day roster after signing a minor league deal in free agency but was later DFA'd, elected free agency, returned on a minor league contract, and most recently pitched in the Diamondbacks' minor league system in Reno before being released earlier this week.
At Triple-A Reno, Ross logged 21 innings, primarily in long relief, and recorded a 4.29 ERA. His advanced metrics included a 14% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate, and a 47.8% ground-ball rate. He also generated weak contact with an 87.7 mph average exit velocity and a 38% hard-hit rate.
Across his MLB career, Ross owns a 4.37 ERA over 572 innings in 163 games, along with a 20.6% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate, and a 43% ground-ball rate. His career has included interruptions due to significant injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries, an elbow bone spur procedure, and multiple injured list stints for lower back and shoulder issues.
While Ross showed some ability to be effective in 2024 with a 3.77 ERA over 74 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers , his results took a step back in 2025 with the Philadelphia Phillies , where he regressed to a 5.12 ERA and a career-low strikeout rate of 17.1%.
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Texas has not yet specified Ross's role, but he is expected to report to Triple-A Round Rock, where he could be used as a long reliever or potentially stretched out as a starter. The Rangers currently feature a rotation of Jacob deGrom , Nathan Eovaldi , MacKenzie Gore , Jack Leiter , and Kumar Rocker , with depth concerns behind them. Rocker has recently strung together 12 2/3 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 3.60.
Veteran reliever Cal Quantrill has been used in long relief, which may limit Ross's immediate path to the majors.
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