The Texas Rangers are bringing a familiar face back to the Lone Star State, finalizing a minor league deal with veteran right-hander Ryan Brasier. Once the ink dries, Brasier will head to spring training with a non-roster invite in hand, hoping to carve out a spot in a bullpen that’s being built on savvy, cost-effective additions.
For Brasier, this move is more than just a new chapter - it’s a homecoming. Born in Wichita Falls and a college product of Weatherford, just a short drive from Arlington, the 38-year-old reliever now has a chance to contribute close to home.
Last season, Brasier suited up for the Cubs but was limited to just 26 innings due to a pair of groin injuries that sidelined him for nearly two months. When healthy, he posted a 4.50 ERA with a solid 19% strikeout rate and an elite 4.8% walk rate.
That ERA may look pedestrian on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see a pitcher who was better than the numbers suggest. A .321 BABIP - well above the league average and his own career norm - inflated his results.
More advanced metrics like SIERA (3.74) and FIP (3.17) paint a more optimistic picture of his actual performance.
Injuries have been a recurring theme for Brasier over the past two seasons. In 2024, he tossed 28 innings with the Dodgers, missing time with a calf strain.
But when he was on the mound, he was effective - a 3.54 ERA, 22.7% strikeout rate, and another stingy walk rate of 4.5%. The command has remained a calling card for Brasier, even as his velocity has started to dip.
And that velocity drop is worth watching. Last year, his average four-seam fastball sat at 94 mph - a notable decline from the 95.7 mph he was firing just a season earlier.
That dip likely contributed to a career-low 9.7% swinging strike rate, marking the first time Brasier’s whiff rate fell well below the league average. For a pitcher who’s never been overpowering but has relied on a sharp fastball-slider combo, that’s a trend the Rangers will be monitoring closely.
Still, there’s a lot to like in Brasier’s recent body of work. Since a rough 2022 season (5.78 ERA in 62.1 innings), he’s quietly put together three solid campaigns when healthy.
Over the last three years, he’s pitched to a 3.48 ERA across 113.2 innings, with a 22.3% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate, and strong numbers in leverage spots - two saves and 20 holds. He’s also done an excellent job keeping the ball in the yard, allowing just 0.63 home runs per nine innings during that stretch.
If he makes the big league roster, Brasier would join a Rangers bullpen that’s once again being built on one-year deals and veteran depth. Texas has already added Chris Martin, Alexis Diaz, Tyler Alexander, and Jakob Junis this offseason - all on short-term contracts. It’s a continuation of the strategy that worked in 2025, when low-cost signings like Martin, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Shawn Armstrong delivered strong results.
It’s not the most glamorous way to build a bullpen, and it’s certainly not the most stable. Relievers are notoriously unpredictable year to year. But with payroll tightening in recent seasons, president of baseball operations Chris Young has leaned into this piecemeal approach - and so far, it’s paid off.
Of course, the long-term hope is that some of the organization’s younger arms begin to step up and take on bigger roles. Cole Winn did just that in 2025, emerging as a key setup man. He’ll be counted on again this season, likely working in front of newly acquired closer Robert Garcia, who came over in the trade that sent Nathaniel Lowe to the Nationals.
For now, Brasier represents another calculated bet - a veteran arm with a track record of success when healthy, elite command, and a chance to rediscover some lost velocity. If he can do that, the Rangers might have found yet another bullpen gem on a bargain deal.