Texas Rangers Closer Candidate to Make Spring Training Debut Next Week

One of the relievers the Texas Rangers have considered to be a candidate for the closer job will finally pitch in a Cactus League game next week.

Aug 31, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Robert Garcia (61) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Jacob deGrom wasn’t the only Texas Rangers pitcher that received the date for his first spring training game on Saturday.

Robert Garcia, the right-handed reliever acquired in the Nathaniel Lowe trade, will make his debut on Monday in Cactus League action, per The Dallas Morning News.

Manager Bruce Bochy revealed the plan at the same time he told reporters that deGrom, the team’s top starting pitcher, would throw a live bullpen on Saturday and would make his spring training debut on Friday.

Garcia’s ramp-up for spring training was delayed a bit due to nerve irritation in his throwing arm. Garcia threw a live bullpen earlier this week and Texas feels comfortable giving him the chance to start pitching in live games.

The Rangers limited Garcia's throwing shortly after pitchers and catchers reported two weeks ago, as president of baseball operations Chris Young said the move was made out of precaution since spring training had only started. While many pitchers were throwing from a mound to start spring training, he threw from flat ground.

One of Texas’ biggest needs in this spring training is to determine who their closer will be after losing Kirby Yates in free agency. He signed a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers after saving 33 games for the Rangers.

Young has mentioned Garcia as one of the three potential closer candidates, along with Chris Martin and Shawn Armstrong. Young later said that Martin was the most likely pitcher to start the season as the closer, though his ramp-up has been slowed by an illness. He has yet to appear in a spring training game.

It’s possible the Rangers could break camp with a closer-by-committee. Among their relievers in camp, Martin has the most career Major League saves with 14.

In two Major League seasons, the 28-year-old left-hander is 5-8 with a 4.03 ERA. Garcia has 18 career holds, including 13 last year. But he was 0-for-4 in save opportunities in 2024. He was a workhorse for Washington, as he appeared in 72 games.

Garcia was drafted out of UC Davis in 2017 and made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2023. The Marlins waived him shortly after his debut and the Nationals acquired him via waivers.

The Rangers have passed on several reliable closers this offseason, including Kyle Finnegan, an All-Star last season who re-signed with the Washington Nationals earlier this week after he was released by them in November.