Rangers Begin Bullpen Assembly with Alexis Diaz and Tyler Alexander

The Texas Rangers have agreed to one-year deals two relievers as they start to work on putting together their bullpen for 2026.

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The Texas Rangers lost Phil Maton and Hoby Milner to the Chicago Cubs. They hope Alexis Diaz and Tyler Alexander are adequate replacements.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Friday night that the Rangers had agreed to terms with Diaz and Alexander on one-year deals. The Rangers had not formally announced the signings, nor the reported agreement with catcher Danny Jansen. But, with several openings on the 40-man roster, these additions won’t require rosters moves.

Before Friday, Texas’ pitching moves in free agency had been limited to minor league deals with Major League spring training invites. Diaz is a former closer with the Cincinnati Reds, while Alexander is a left-handed reliever who has pitched for four different teams. They fit much differently in what is shaping up to be a new-look bullpen for 2026.

Alexis Diaz and Tyler Alexander

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Diaz, a 29-year-old right-hander from Puerto Rico, could have a significant impact on the bullpen if he resembles the pitcher he was when he broke in with Cincinnati in 2022. He was the Reds’ closer for three seasons, as he racked up 75 saves and had a respectable 2.93 ERA. He was also 18-14 and had 244 strikeouts, with more than 10 punchouts per nine innings.

He finished fifth in National League rookie of the year voting in 2022 and was a NL All-Star in 2023. Last season was an entirely different matter.

He started the season with a hamstring injury and when he returned, he struggled. Cincinnati optioned him back to Triple-A and later traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in May. He had mechanical issues in the Dodgers and was designated for assignment in September. He landed in Atlanta on waivers and continued to struggle. After three excellent seasons in Cincinnati, he went 1-0 with an 8.15 ERA in 18 games in 2025, with 17 strikeouts and 12 walks in 17.2 innings.

Texas is clearly counting on Diaz finding his pre-2025 form. If he can, then he becomes a potential option at closer.

Alexander is a 31-year-old who played his high school baseball at Southlake Carroll, which is near Arlington. A former second-round pick of the Detroit Tigers saw him make his MLB debut with them in 2015. But his MLB career has been inconsistent. He’s made 195 appearances, with 57 starts and has a career 4.63 ERA. He has one career save and 10 career holds, indicating that he’s a middle reliever and not used in high-leverage situations.

Last season he went 5-14 with a 4.98 ERA with Milwaukee and the Chicago White Sox. Most of his Baseball Savant page was blue with one exception — barrel percentage, where he was in the 86th percentile. In other words, hitters can’t square up often.

Diaz and Alexander will join Robert Garcia, Jacob Latz, Jose Corniell, Cole Winn and Luis Curvelo as the projected bullpen in 2026. Chances are Texas isn’t done yet.