ARLINGTON -- Right-hander Dillon Gee, who opted out of his Minor League deal with the Rangers on Saturday, has agreed to a new contract and will open the season at Triple-A Round Rock.
Gee will be placed on the 40-man roster before being optioned to Round Rock. That move will likely come when the Rangers place right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez on the 60-day disabled list.
"A lot of these decisions are never really that easy," Gee said. "I felt I had a good spring. There's always that part of you that wants to see if there's an option that puts you in a good situation as well. I wanted to stay here and with the things they're willing to do and I'm willing to do. It's a win win."
• Rangers option Kela to Triple-A Round Rock
Gee, who has 48 wins in the Majors since 2010, will be stretched out in Round Rock and is an option for the Rangers when they need a fifth starter. Manager Jeff Banister said on Friday that the Rangers would open the season with a four-man rotation -- Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Cole Hamels and A.J. Griffin. The Rangers won't need a fifth starter until April 15.
Gee, who was born in nearby Cleburne and lives in Fort Worth, posted a 3.20 ERA in six spring outings for the Rangers. He pitched six scoreless innings in his last start on Wednesday.
Gee won't be the only veteran in the Round Rock rotation. The Rangers also reassigned right-hander Anthony Bass to Minor League camp on Friday. Bass, who is expected to be a starter for Round Rock, made eight relief appearances this spring for the Rangers.
"We're going to have a need for a guy with a track record in the big leagues that can start," general manager Jon Daniels said of Gee. "He can do a lot of things. He's a great makeup guy, throws a ton of strikes and works quick. We all know we're going to need pitching help. I expect he'll be a pretty good option."
Worth noting
Right-hander Tanner Scheppers is getting a second opinion on his left abdominal strain. He hasn't pitched in a game since March 24, but the reliever did throw a bullpen session on Monday.