Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has signed free agent left-handed pitcher Joely Rodríguez to a two-year contract covering the 2020 and 2021 seasons, along with a club option for the 2022 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Rodriguez, 28, has spent the last two seasons playing in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball, going 3-7 with a 1.85 ERA over 90 relief appearances. During that time, he has averaged 10.6 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per 9 innings while limiting opponents to a .203/.277/.260/.537 slash line. His 1.64 ERA (11 ER/60.1 IP) over 64 appearances in 2019 was lowest among all NPB pitchers with at least 60.0 innings, and he also ranked among circuit leaders in strikeouts per 9 innings (3rd, 11.49), strikeout to walk ratio (3rd, 5.50), and opponent batting average (4th, .164),
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound left-hander previously pitched in the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Balitmore organizations, in addition to a brief stint with the Rangers’ Triple-A Round Rock affiliate in 2017. Rodríguez reached the Major Leagues with the Phillies in 2016-17 and posted a 1-2 record with a 5.40 ERA over 38 relief outings, his only big league action to date.
Originally signed by the Pirates in 2009, the Dominican Republic native owns a career 43-44 record and 4.34 ERA over 238 games/105 starts across 10 minor league seasons. He worked as a starter early in his career, but has appeared exclusively in relief since 2016. Rodríguez was acquired by Texas from Philadelphia on June 13, 2017 in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations and pitched to a 6.33 ERA over 22 relief outings for the Round Rock Express prior to being designated for assignment on Sept. 1, 2017.
With the addition of Rodríguez, the Rangers are now at the 40-man limit on the Major League roster.
DILLARD AND SWIHART AMONG MINORS SIGNINGS: Additionally, the Rangers have signed four players to minor league contracts with invitations to Major League spring training camp: RHP Tim Dillard, LHP Brian Flynn, RHP Arturo Reyes, and C/OF Blake Swihart. Right-hander Matt Bush has also signed a two-year minor league contract with the Rangers, and he will be in minor league camp this spring.
Bush, 33, underwent ‘Tommy John’ ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow on July 12, this after his final appearance with Double-A Frisco on June 30 vs. Midland. He was returning from surgery on September 19, 2018 to repair a partial tear of the tendon in his right elbow. Bush owns a career 3.35 ERA and 1.248 WHIP figure over 136 Major League appearances, all with Texas, and his last MLB appearance came on June 13, 2018 at Los Angeles-NL.
The 36-year-old Dillard went 9-9 with a 4.75 ERA over 33 games/21 starts with Triple-A Nashville in 2019, his first campaign in the Texas organization. He was selected for Sounds co-MVP honors after leading the team in wins and innings (153.1) last season. Dillard saw MLB action with Milwaukee in 2008-09 and 2011-12, and he will be in his 18th professional season in 2020.
Flynn, 29, posted a 2-2 record with a 5.22 ERA over 11 games/1 start with the Royals last season, spending the bulk of the year with Triple-A Omaha, where he went 4-4 with a 4.78 ERA in 11 games/5 starts. He began the year on the injured list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, and did not appear in a game until April 24. The Tulsa-area native has spent the last five seasons in the Royals organization, and he has a career record of 6-12 with one save, a 4.41 ERA, and 1.577 WHIP figure over 102 games/7 starts in the Majors with Miami (2013-14) and Kansas City (2016-19).
Reyes, 27, split 2019 between Triple-A Durham and Double-A Montgomery in the Tampa Bay organization, combining to go 11-7 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.31 WHIP figure in 28 games/23 starts. He finished with a career-high 112 strikeouts and was named an International League mid-season All-Star in his first season in the organization. Reyes spent the first six years of his professional career in the St. Louis organization after he was drafted in the 40th round of the 2013 June Draft out of Gonzaga University. The Warden, Washington native owns a career 44-41 record and 3.99 ERA over 157 games/105 starts across seven minor league seasons.
Swihart, who will turn 28 on April 3, compiled a .163/.222/.304/.527 slash line with 4 home runs and 13 RBI in 43 games with Boston and Arizona in 2019. He played 31 games with the Diamondbacks after being acquired via trade from the Red Sox on April 19, logging an additional 31 contests in the minor leagues at Triple-A Reno and High-A Visalia. The switch-hitter owns a career .243 batting average with 12 home runs and 67 RBI in 639 games at the Major League level and has appeared at every position in the big leagues except shortstop and pitcher. Born in Bedford, Texas – just outside of Arlington – Swihart attended V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, NM before being selected by Boston in the first round (26th overall) of the 2011 June draft.