As the Texas Rangers await word on if they will land Shohei Ohtani, they aren’t just sitting still.
The Rangers re-signed right-handed reliever Tony Barnette on a one-year, $1.5 million contract and reportedly have inked left-handed free-agent Mike Minor.
Barnette returns for a third season after the Rangers declined to pick up a $4 million club option. He struggled in 2017, including allowing the highest percentage of inherited runners to score in MLB.
Minor was a standout reliever for the Kansas City Royals in 2017 after returning from a rotator cuff injury. He started his career as a starter and reportedly will figure into the Rangers’ rotation.