Rangers Farm Report

Pitchers and catchers report today. The first official spring training game is in nine (!) days.

Speaking of pitchers, by my count, Texas has 58 healthy ones with experience at AA or higher, and the combined MLB/AAA/AA active rosters can only hold 45, give or take. The number fighting for these spots grows further with potential promotions from the lower minors, although at this point I’m not expecting many, as the Rangers already bumped several from Hickory to Frisco late last season.

I didn’t want a 4,000-word report last month, so I postponed reporting on all the recent minor league additions. Let’s get caught up. Given the 33-game spring schedule, I expect you’ll see many of these names in the boxes.

Incoming

RHP Tim Brennan (Age 28 on Opening Day)
Brennan re-signed after becoming a free agent. Texas’s 2018 seventh-rounder fell to an elbow injury in late 2022, and last season’s return was calamitous, to be frank (6.54 ERA, 83 baserunners in 42.2 AAA innings). His once-pinpoint control disappeared, and he isn’t the type who can whiff his way out of tense situations. With better control this spring, he should ably handle AA hitters if placed there or get another shot at AAA.  

RHP David Buchanan (35)
Drafted in 2009’s sixth round, Buchanan debuted strongly in the Majors in 2014, but by 2017 he’d begun the first of seven seasons in Japan or Korea. He returned to the US in 2024 and made one more MLB appearance. At no point in his career has he struck out many batters, so I’d expect an inning-eating AAA role.

RHP JT Chargois (34)
Chargois has bounced around six organizations plus Japan and was non-tendered in November despite solid if not flashy numbers produced by a 95 MPH sinker and mid-80s slider. The problem is multiple trips to the injured list the past three seasons including two terms on the 60-day IL. He’s a good signing and decent bet for another 30-40 MLB innings in Texas or elsewhere.  

RHP Jesse Chavez (41)
Did you know that Chavez relieved Bob Gibson in Game 1 of the 1964 World Series, the only postseason start of Gibson’s nine that didn’t result in a complete game? Okay, not quite true, but Rickey Henderson genuinely was still active when Chavez originally signed with Texas. That said, he’s as likely as anyone on this list to find himself in Arlington during 2025.

RHP Matt Festa (32)
DFA’ed and traded to the Cubs for cash last month, Festa was soon designated again, took free agency once unclaimed, and re-signed with the Rangers. Previously, I’d mentioned him as “a handy guy to stash in AAA if he hadn’t run out of options.” Now, Texas can stash away, although that absence of options precludes the up-and-down role for which he’s probably best suited.

RHP Peyton Gray (29)
A former Rockie, Royal and Red, the undrafted and oft-injured Gray has thrown only 155 summer innings in seven seasons, none in affiliated ball since 2021. Still, he’s pitched exceptionally well in winter ball lately, so at the least he’ll be worth a peek if you’re wandering the back fields next month.

RHP Nolan Hoffman (27)
A reliever since his time at TAMU, the now-27-year-old spent his first full season in AAA in 2024.  At Norfolk, he bumped his strikeout rate to 28% compared to the 22% of 2021-2023, but his walk rate nearly doubled. Hoffman deals a low-slot sinker and slider. Incidentally, Hoffman was the first pick in the 2021 minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, 28 selections before Robert Garcia.

RHP Hanser Lara (28)
He’s a veteran of sorts, having originally signed with KC nearly ten years ago but without a single appearance after 2018. In April of that year, he threw three scoreless innings against Hickory. An area scout filed a glowing report that night, and seven years later, Lara’s a Ranger. I’m sure that’s what transpired.

RHP Daniel Missaki (28)
Born in Japan. Brazil in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and a contract with Seattle. Milwaukee via trade in 2015. Two Tommy John surgeries. Three years of indy and farm ball back in Japan. A summer in Venezuelan. Last summer in Mexico and with the Cubs. Now a Ranger.

RHP Travis MacGregor (27)
Still awaiting the call, the Pittsburgh 2016 2nd-rounder impressed in the unfriendly confines of Salt Lake last year, posting a 3.67 ERA and holding opponents to a .248/.325/.367 line in long relief. He threw a four-seamer and sinker averaging around 94, an 88 cutter and 83 sweepy slider.

RHP Patrick Murphy (29)
In 2024, Murphy split time between the major and minor versions of Nippon Ham, actually pitching better at the higher level. Murphy offered a mid-90s fastball and low-80s curve while stateside during parts of 2020-2022.

C Tucker Barnhart (34)
Meet your third catcher. 34 next week, Barnhart has spent the last 11 years in the Majors, a primary backstop for eight. He hit well enough (for a catcher) much of that time but has posted a .208/.286/.255 line the past three seasons.

C Chad Wallach (33)
Wallach spent most of the past three seasons with the Angels, mostly in AAA. With the departures of Sam Huff and Matt Whatley, Texas didn’t have any AAA-ready catchers (excepting perhaps Cooper Johnson, who’s yet to play at that level but had a nice season at Frisco).

C Brandon Martorano (27)
An extra catcher for Frisco and/or Round Rock. Martorano spent several years in the San Francisco system and finished 2024 at indy Gastonia.

IF Nick Ahmed (35)
Ahmed has never posted a 100 OPS+ in 11 MLB seasons and sports a line of .221/.271/.327 over the past four years. So… why? Because even at 35 he provides a worthy up-the-middle glove. Still, for the first time in his career, finding a spot on an MLB roster is likely to require some time-biding in AAA, whether at Round Rock or elsewhere.

IF Jax Biggers (27)
Sooie. The 2018 eight-rounder from Arkansas rejoined the Rangers after becoming a free agent. Biggers doesn’t hit especially hard but is finely attuned to the robot-assisted strike zone of AAA, drawing a walk nearly one of every six times at the plate and reaching at a .390 clip in Round Rock.

IF Alex De Goti (30)
The former Astro split between Frisco and Round Rock last year.

IF Alan Trejo (28)
Trejo hit the cover off the ball in Albuquerque but struggled badly in Colorado (.228/.276/.334 across four seasons). Scaling high-altitude AAA stats to MLB remains impossible. He’s isn’t playing much shortstop nowadays, so he’d need several breaks to get a ticket to Arlington, especially with the signing of Ahmed.

OF Sam Haggerty (30)
Haggerty missed most of 2024 with an Achilles injury and was non-tendered by Seattle. Like Ahmed, he’ll need some fortune to return to MLB, although with his versatility he’s got a shot at a bench role. He’s spent a majority of his 202 MLB games in left but (especially in AAA) can play anywhere but catcher.

OF Cody Thomas (30)
The former OU QB was drafted by the Dodgers in 2016’s 13th round and reached the Majors briefly in 2022-2023, batting .250/.308/333 in 29 games with the Athletics. Thomas ventured to Japan last year but couldn’t gain a foothold, instead spending most of the season at Orix’s farm club. His AAA stats are inflated by Las Vegas, but he should offer some power for Round Rock and/or Frisco.

In Charge

Changes to the minor league coaching/development system were modest. All four full-season managers return: Doug Davis in AAA Round Rock, Carlos Cardoza in AA Frisco, Chad Comer in high-A Hub City, and Carlos Maldonado in low-A Hickory. Nick Janssen has replaced Guilder Rodriguez as the complex-league manager, with Rodriguez shifting to a bench role. At the full-season levels, the only coach new to the organization is AA bullpen coach Carson Phillips.

Jon Goebel, last year’s AA pitching coach, has graduated to AAA plus hold the title of upper-minors pitching coordinator. Last year’s AAA pitching coach, Dave Borkowski, remains in Round Rock as bullpen coach and would (I expect) simply be the pitching coach if/when Goebel’s duties require time away from the Express. Replacing Goebel in Frisco is Jose Jaimes, last year’s rookie-level pitching coach. Former pitching coordinator Jordan Tiegs is now the Texas bullpen coach.

Elsewhere

The Yankees claimed RHP Owen White off waivers from Cincinnati and re-designated him five days later. His status is pending. I suspect plenty of clubs would like an opportunity to right White’s ship but not at the expense of a 40 spot, even though he has an option.

The Rays designated IF Oslevis Basabe for assignment and traded him to San Francisco for cash. Barely four years after the Nathaniel Lowe trade, neither Texas nor Tampa has anyone from that swap in its organization.

Detroit designated RHP Mason Englert for assignment. After being swiped from the Rangers in the 2022 Rule 5 draft, Engert managed (barely) to stick the entire season in the Majors, posting a 5.46 ERA in 56 innings with a good walk rate and surfeit of homers. His 2024 yielded similar results, but he spent much of the season in the minors.  

The Marlins claimed RHP Ronny Henriquez off waivers from Minnesota. Henriquez had been outrighted and became a free agent after 2023 but re-signed with Twins and quickly regained an up-and-down relief role. Entering 2025, he’s out of options.

RHP Neftali Feliz signed a minor deal with Seattle. I thought I’d mentioned him previously, as news of his supposedly imminent signing broke well before by previous report, but I must have decided to wait until the move was official. Feliz last pitched in the US in 2021 and spent the last three seasons in Mexico. I did see a story about him with the clickbait headline “Former Rangers Star Signs Surprise New Deal That’ll Crush Texas Fans,” and… can we not, please? I’m not even dented, much less crushed, and honestly would be fine if he made the M’s roster. I would draw the line at him pitching well against the Rangers, however.

Other minor deals for players in the system last year: RHP Jonathan Hernandez (TAM), catcher Matt Whately (TOR), IF Jose Barrero (STL).

And deals for those from the more distant past: LHP Kolby Allard (CLE), RHP Alex Speas (MIN).

Round Rock Express Tickets

An acquaintance of mine runs an eight-way split of four excellent season tickets in the fourth row one section to the right of home plate. He is looking for one or more parties to join the group. If you’re interested, email me and I’ll give you his contact information.

Organization Info

A reminder than I keep lists of the 40-man roster, all stateside squad rosters, players who’ve left the organization, Rule 5 qualifications, and more here. I try to maintain them steadily but errors and omission occur, so feel free to point them out.

Social Media

I’ve posted less this winter than any in recent memory, and almost exclusively on Bluesky. For those who follow, I expect I’ll ramp up soon. As to whether I’ll double-post at X/Twitter and Bluesky, I haven’t decided. Regardless, this year I plan to emphasize getting worthwhile info into reports and not just social media, a task I’ve occasionally handled poorly.

Next

Top-100 lists, organization rankings, early thoughts.