Tag: invitations

Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today formally announced agreements with right-handed pitchers David Buchanan and Jesse Chavez, outfielder Cody Thomas, and catcher Chad Wallach on minor league contracts with invitations to 2025 Major League Spring Training camp. The Rangers also extended Major League Spring Training camp invitations to 11 players from within the organization. Those 15 players (in alphabetical order):

RHP Dane Acker
LHP Robby Ahlstrom
RHP David Buchanan*
RHP Jesse Chavez*
1B Blaine Crim
LHP Kohl Drake
INF Cody Freeman
RHP Skylar Hales
INF Trevor Hauver
C Malcolm Moore
1B Abimelec Ortiz
OF Alejandro Osuna
OF Cody Thomas*
SS Sebastian Walcott
C Chad Wallach*

*minor league free agent signing

With today’s transactions, the Rangers have 65 players on the club’s Spring Training roster: a full 40-man roster along with 25 non-roster invitees.

Acker, who turns 26 on April 1, will be in his first career Major League Spring Training camp after spending the entire 2024 season with Double-A Frisco, going 5-4 with one save, a 3.05 ERA (33 ER/97.1 IP), and 104 strikeouts in 26 appearances/18 starts. The right-hander ranked among RoughRiders pitchers in strikeouts (2nd), starts (3rd), and innings pitched (3rd) last year, all of which set single-season career highs. In four professional seasons (2021-24) with the Rangers organization, Acker has posted a 3.29 ERA (72 ER/196.2 IP) with 222 strikeouts (10.2 SO/9) in 55 games/47 starts. He was originally selected by the Athletics in the 4th round of the 2020 MLB Draft from the University of Oklahoma before being traded with OF Khris Davis and C Jonah Heim to Texas on Feb. 6, 2021, in a deal that sent INF Elvis Andrus to the A’s.

Ahlstrom, 25, went 6-1 with four saves, a 2.53 ERA (18 ER/64.0 IP), and 72 strikeouts (10.1 SO/9) in a career-best 45 games/one start between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock last season. The left-hander ranked among Rangers MiLB southpaws in appearances (2nd), strikeouts (6th), and innings pitched (6th) in 2024, his third professional campaign (beg. 2022). He has compiled an 11-12 record with a 3.95 ERA (93 ER/211.2 IP) and 257 strikeouts in his minor league career, all with the Texas organization after being acquired via trade from New York-AL with RHP Albert Abreu on April 2, 2022, for C Jose Trevino. Ahlstrom was drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Yankees following three collegiate seasons at the University of Oregon.

Buchanan, 35, split the 2024 season between the Philadelphia and Cincinnati organizations, making one MLB relief appearance with the Reds on Aug. 31 vs. Milwaukee (3.1 IP, 1 ER) and going 11-3 with a 4.86 ERA (67 ER/124.0 IP) in 26 MiLB games/19 starts between Triple-A Lehigh Valley (PHI), High-A Jersey Shore (PHI), and Triple-A Louisville (CIN). The right-hander owns an 8-17 record with a 4.97 ERA (108 ER/195.2 IP) in 36 career MLB appearances/35 starts with Philadelphia (2014-15) and Cincinnati (2024) while also logging three seasons with Yakult of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (2017-19) and four seasons with Samsung of the Korea Baseball Organization (2020-23). A native of Atlanta, Ga., Buchanan was selected by the Phillies in the 7th round of the 2010 MLB Draft from Georgia State University.

The 41-year-old Chavez returns to the Rangers for his fourth stint with the organization following a 2024 season in which he recorded a 3.13 ERA (22 ER/63.1 IP) in 46 relief appearances for the Atlanta Braves. A 17-year MLB veteran, the San Gabriel, Calif. native has accumulated a 51-65 record with 9 saves, a 4.24 ERA (534 ER/1134.0 IP), and 1036 strikeouts in 653 Major League appearances (85 starts) with Pittsburgh (2008-09), Atlanta (2010, 2021-24), Kansas City (2010-11), Toronto (2012, 2016), Oakland (2012-15), Los Angeles-NL (2016), Los Angeles-AL (2017, 2022), Texas (2018-20), and Chicago-NL (2018, 2022). Chavez was originally selected by the Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 MLB Draft from Riverside (Calif.) City College and went 6-6 with a 4.58 ERA (77 ER/151.1 IP) in 96 games/9 starts with Texas from 2018-20. He ranks among all active pitchers in career relief innings (7th, 695.2) and relief appearances (13th, 568).

Crim, 27, batted .277/.370/.469/.839 (140-505) with 33 doubles, 20 home runs, 86 RBI, and 70 walks across a career-high 134 games for Triple-A Round Rock in 2024. The right-handed-hitting first baseman ranked among Pacific Coast League hitters in doubles (3rd), hits (T6th), walks (7th), RBI (9th), and home runs (T15th) last season, his second full campaign at the Triple-A level. Originally selected by Texas in the 19th round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Mississippi College, the Mobile, Ala. product has accumulated a .295/.372/.504/.876 (632-2144) slash line with 103 home runs and 395 RBI in five minor league seasons (2019, 2021-24) in the Rangers organization.

Drake, 24, is receiving his first Major League Spring Training invite following a breakout 2024 season in which he went 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA (27 ER/106.0 IP) and an organization-leading 148 strikeouts in 23 games/19 starts between Low-A Down East, High-A Hickory, and Double-A Frisco. The southpaw’s 12.57 SO/9 figure ranked 7th among all minor league pitchers (min. 100.0 IP), and his 2.29 ERA was 4th-best among Rangers’ farmhands (min. 50.0 IP). He made his professional debut with the ACL Rangers and Down East in 2023 after being selected in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by Texas from Walters State (Tenn.) Community College. The 6-foot-5 Sachse, Tex. native prepped at Wylie H.S. in the DFW Metroplex.

Freeman, 24, will be in his first Major League Spring Training camp after setting career highs in home runs (14) doubles, (33), and games (123) in 2024 with Frisco (AA). The infielder earned Texas League Post-Season All-Star recognition and was rostered on the American League Fall Stars squad for the Arizona Fall League. He was also selected Rangers Minor League Defender of the Year for the 2024 season, committing just four errors in 284 total chances (.986 fielding pct.). Freeman has spent his entire professional career with Texas after being selected in the 4th round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Etiwanda (Calif.) H.S., owning a career MiLB slash line of .245/.325/.389/.713 (387-1583) with 45 home runs and 235 RBI in 429 games across five seasons (2019, 2021-24).

Hales, 23, is set to join Rangers Major League camp for the first time in his career in what will be his third professional season. The right-handed reliever led all Rangers farmhands with 10 saves in 2024, while his 44 games ranked 3rd in the system. He has been deployed exclusively as a reliever in his pro career, making 51 appearances with a 3.34 ERA (25 ER/67.1 IP) and 77 strikeouts to just 19 walks (4.05 SO/BB) over his previous two minor league campaigns (2023-24). Hales – a native of Reno, Nev. – was originally selected by Texas in the 4th round of the 2023 MLB Draft from Santa Clara University.

Hauver, 26, receives his first career Major League Spring Training camp invitation after spending the 2024 season with Round Rock (AAA), his first action at the Triple-A level. The left-handed-hitting corner outfielder hit .246/.360/.425/.785 (87-353) in 104 games for the Express, ranking among team leaders in home runs (4th, 11), doubles (4th, 60), RBI (4th, 60), and walks (4th, 59). He has registered an .823 OPS with 55 home runs and 259 RBI in 413 career minor league games, 347 of which have been with the Texas organization. Originally selected by New York-AL in the 3rd round of the 2020 MLB Draft from Arizona State University, Hauver was traded to Texas on 7/29/21, along with INF Josh Smith, INF Ezequiel Duran, and RHP Glenn Otto, in exchange for OF Joey Gallo and LHP Joely Rodríguez.

The 21-year-old Moore will be in his first Major League Spring Training after making his professional debut over 25 games with High-A Hickory in 2024. Texas’ former first-round selection (30th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft from Stanford University is currently rated among the top prospects in the Rangers organization by Baseball Prospectus (5th) and Baseball America (6th). In his first professional action, Moore batted .209 (19-91) with 3 home runs and 12 RBI, including a 308/.391/.564/.955 (12-39) slash line over his final 10 games for the Crawdads. The backstop made 13 starts behind the plate, throwing out 4 of 31 (12.9%) attempted base stealers. The Sacramento, Calif. native compiled a .288 batting average, 31 home runs, and 99 RBI in 118 career collegiate games at Stanford.

Ortiz, who turns 23 on February 22, will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee for the second consecutive season. Over 115 games spent exclusively with Frisco in 2024, Ortiz set career highs in games, doubles (21), and walks (50), and ranked among TEX farmhands in home runs (T4th), runs scored (5th, 68), RBI (7th, 64), and extra-base hits (8th, 41). The left-handed batter and thrower went 3-for-9 (.333) with 2 home runs and 3 RBI over 3 games for the RoughRiders in Texas League South Division Championship Series vs. Midland, including a game-tying HR down to the club’s final strike in Game 2. A native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Ortiz has combined for a .254/.348/.495/.843 (313-1231) slash line with 73 home runs and 237 RBI in 357 games across his four minor-league seasons (all with TEX org.).

The 22-year-old Osuna is entering his first career Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invitee to Rangers camp after earning the distinction of Rangers’ Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year in 2024. The outfielder batted 292/.362/.507/.896 (119-408) and set career highs in home runs (18), RBI (61), and hits over 102 games split between Hickory (A+) and Frisco (AA) last season. Texas’ 10th-best prospect (Baseball America) carries a career .277/.368/.438/.806 (334-1207) slash line with 38 home runs and 186 RBI over 335 minor league games since 2021. The Ahome, Mexico native was originally signed by Texas as an international free agent on October 6, 2020.

Thomas, 30, spent the 2024 season in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, batting .263/.335/.324/.659 (56-213) with two home runs and 19 RBI in 79 Japan Western League games. The left-handed-hitting outfielder last appeared stateside with the Athletics organization in 2023, slashing .301/.361/.562/.922 (129-429) with 23 home runs and 109 RBI in 107 games with Triple-A Las Vegas while also appearing in 19 MLB contests. In 29 games in the Majors, all with the A’s from 2022-23, Thomas owns a .250 (18-72) batting average and has made starts at left field, right field, and designated hitter. The Colleyville, Tex. native was selected by Los Angeles-NL in the 13th round of the 2016 MLB Draft from the University of Oklahoma, logging four minor league seasons in the Dodgers organization before being traded to the Athletics with LHP Adam Kolarek on Feb. 12, 2021 in exchange for INF Sheldon Neuse and RHP Gus Varland.

Walcott, who turns 19 on March 14, is entering his first Major League camp as a non-roster invitee for Texas following a 2024 campaign in which he slashed .265/.344/.452/.796 (121-456) with 11 home runs, 9 triples, 34 doubles, 56 RBI, and 27 stolen bases across 121 games for Hickory (A+) and Frisco (AA). The shortstop is currently rated among the top prospects in the sport by Baseball Prospectus (10th), MLB Pipeline (17th), and Baseball America (21st), and was heralded by BA as the 2024 Rangers Minor League Player of the Year. In July, he participated in the All-Star Futures Game as well as the inaugural Futures Skills Showcase at Globe Life Field – an event for which he produced a 2nd-place finish. The Nassau, Bahamas native sports a .260/.341/.457/.798 (167-643) slash line with 18 home runs and 80 RBI in 169 career minor league games over two seasons in the Rangers organization. He was originally signed by Texas as an international free agent on January 15, 2023.

Wallach, 33, spent all of 2024 with Triple-A Salt Lake of the Los Angeles-AL system and batted .247/.337/.430/.767 (72-291) with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 87 games. The seven-year Major League veteran most recently saw MLB action with the Angels in 2023 when he set career highs in games (65) and home runs (7). The backstop carries a career slash line of .198/.263/.328/.590 in 155 games with Cincinnati (2017), Miami (2018-21), and Los Angeles-AL (2022-23). A native of Yorba Linda, Calif., Wallach was originally selected by the Marlins in the 5th round of the 2013 MLB Draft from California State University, Fullerton. Chad is the son of Tim Wallach, a former infielder who slugged 260 home runs over his 17-year MLB career with Montreal, Los Angeles-NL, and California.