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Three Rangers Options That Could Emerge as Reliable Closer in 2026
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- Three Rangers Options That Could Emerge as Reliable Closer in 2026
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The Texas Rangers have faced significant losses in the bullpen this offseason. Major contributors like Shawn Armstrong , Hoby Milner , Phil Maton and others have found new homes, leaving the bullpen depleted.
In an attempt to offset those losses, the Rangers signed Alexis Diaz , Zak Kent and Tyler Alexander . The other player they were able to retain was the veteran Chris Martin . President of baseball operations Chris Young has expressed his desire to add a couple more arms to bolster the pitching staff.
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At the moment, manager Skip Schumaker doesn't have a lot of reliable options in late-inning situations. It will likely be a closer by committee, and three potential options could emerge as the closer for Texas.
Alexis Diaz
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The Rangers struggled mightily closing out games, finishing among the top of the league in blown saves. Armstrong shared the lead with Robert Garcia in saves with nine. Garcia fizzled out at the end of the regular season and will likely have to earn his role back.
The newcomer Diaz could be an option for Schumaker. Per Jeff Wilson of DLLS Rangers, the Rangers are encouraged by Diaz's progress this offseason and says he's hungry to return to the form he showed with the Reds.
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Diaz was tremendous in his first season in Cincinnati . In 2022, he posted a 1.84 ERA in 59 appearances. He followed that year up with an All-Star nod and 37 saves. He was emerging as a tremendous reliever before hitting a wall last year. He played for three different teams and never hit his stride.
He joins Texas hoping to find himself once again and if he can do so, he could certainly emerge as the closer.
Chris Martin
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Martin could be an option for Schumaker, but he has to find a way to stay on the field. The 39-year-old battled injuries all of last season. He had three different stints on the injured list, battling shoulder fatigue, a calf strain and thoracic outlet syndrome.
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When he was on the field, he put up solid numbers, finishing with a 2.98 ERA and 43 strikeouts. If he can stay healthy, Martin is a serviceable arm and could be called on to close out games in 2025. He'll be entering his 11th season and has 16 saves.
Cole Winn
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Cole Winn is a wild card option for Schumaker. Drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft, Winn finally turned into the pitcher that was promised, but emerged as a reliever. Over 41.2 innings, he had a 1.51 ERA and struck out 35 hitters.
He was a pleasant surprise last year, but he may not be ready to become the consistent closer just yet. However, he showed a lot of promise and should see his role expand. He was mainly used to eat up innings in non competitive games, but he could be ask to pitch in high leverage situations.
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The Rangers likely won't have the lights-out closer fans have been clamoring for this year. But, they have multiple guys that could get the job done as Texas aims to return to the playoffs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers/onsi as Three Rangers Options That Could Emerge as Reliable Closer in 2026 .
