Three Texas Rangers Non-Roster Invitees to Watch During Spring Training

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy likes to say that every year you need a few “surprises” to come out of nowhere and help your team win.
The process of sorting through those surprises begins at spring training next month in, well, Surprise, Ariz.
The Texas Rangers have a consistent roster from a season ago. They made a couple of significant moves to bolster their rotation and their batting order, along with adding several relievers in free agency.
But among the players that will be headed to spring training are 10 non-roster invitees. These are players that aren't on the 40-man roster and don't have guaranteed contracts. But they could play their way into a role come opening day. The Rangers could also add more of these players as they prepare for spring training.
Here are three non-roster invitees with a chance to make the opening-day roster.
RHP Adrian Houser
A former starter with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was traded to the New York Mets last offseason after his former boss, David Stearns, moved to the Mets to become their president of baseball operations.
Houser really didn't catch on with the Mets. He went 1-5 with a 5.84 ERA in 23 appearances. He only started seven games before the Mets released him. He hooked up with both the Cubs and the Orioles briefly before he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers.
He could be a swing starter and reliever under the right circumstances. The Rangers are looking for flexibility in their bullpen and at least one other multiple inning reliever to go along with Dane Dunning.
RHP Codi Heuer
Heuer hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2021 and as missed much of the 18 months after suffering a fractured arm during a game. The Cubs released him after last season, and he signed with the Rangers.
Heuer was an effective reliever for both the White Sox and the Cubs in 2020 and 2021, as he went 10-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 86 games. He also had three saves and 23 holds. The Rangers are looking for a closer, of course. But they're also looking for two or three set-up men, and Heuer could settle into that role if he has a great spring.
C Tucker Barnhart
The Rangers under Bochy have shown a propensity for carrying three catchers (Bochy was a former MLB catcher). The Rangers are set to use Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka as a tandem. But Barnhart — a two-time Gold Glove winner who is a lifetime .241 hitter — is good insurance in case something goes awry this spring.
He’s hit 10 or more home runs twice, but not since 2019. He has a good reputation for pitch-framing and defense.