The Texas Rangers are adding left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks to their roster on a one-year deal, according to reports from Evan Grant. At 32 years old, Beeks brings experience and depth to the Rangers’ bullpen as they finalize their pitching staff for the 2026 season.
Beeks made his major league debut in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox before being traded mid-season to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Nathan Eovaldi. He spent several seasons with the Rays until the 2023 offseason, after which he was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies later traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2024 trade deadline. Over the past year, Beeks had brief stints with Houston and Arizona, signing with Houston but being released shortly after, then joining the Diamondbacks for the 2025 season.
Known as a ground-ball specialist, Beeks does not typically accumulate high strikeout numbers and has had some struggles with control throughout his career. Despite this, he has been a durable option over the past two seasons, appearing in 132 games. His 2025 campaign with Arizona was solid, as he posted a 3.77 ERA with a 3.88 xERA, demonstrating that he can still be a reliable contributor out of the bullpen.
Beeks becomes the fifth free-agent reliever the Rangers have added to major league deals this offseason. Alongside him, Texas has signed Tyler Alexander, Alexis Diaz, Jakob Junis, and Chris Martin. The Rangers also bolstered their pitching depth by acquiring Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler.
With Beeks joining Alexander and returning reliever Robert Garcia, the Rangers will have three left-handed pitchers likely slated for their Opening Day bullpen. Jacob Latz is another bullpen candidate, though he seems more likely to compete for a starting rotation spot, currently appearing ahead of Kumar Rocker for the final rotation position.
Alexis Diaz has struggled significantly with control this spring. Historically not known for pinpoint accuracy, his command issues have worsened over recent seasons. The Rangers have tried to address these problems with adjustments, but improvement has been limited. Diaz still has one option remaining, so a minor league assignment remains possible to start the season.
Adding Beeks to the roster requires an open spot on the 40-man roster. Likely candidates to be removed include waiver claims Dairon Blanco and Michel Otanez, though the team also needs a spot for Andrew McCutchen (or potentially Mark Canha), making roster decisions more complicated.
Beyond Beeks and the established relievers, pitchers Gavin Collyer, Payton Gray, and Josh Sborz are competing for a bullpen position. None of these players are currently on the 40-man roster, so any success in earning an Opening Day role would require further roster moves.
Currently, the Rangers appear to have six of the eight bullpen spots effectively filled by Alexander, Beeks, Garcia, Martin, Junis, and Brandon Winn. Baumler has shown potential to earn a spot, but his ability to maintain it will depend on performance. That leaves one final bullpen position open, likely to be contested by Diaz, Collyer, Gray, Sborz, Luis Curvelo, or another candidate, with final decisions dependent on spring performance and roster flexibility.
Leave a Reply