Rangers Bring Back Promising Pitching Prospect Who Was Involved in 2024 Trade

The Texas Rangers are looking to build their farm system depth out even further, and in doing so have signed a prospect they traded away previously.

Mar 15, 2024; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; General view of a Texas Rangers hat, glove, and glasses prior to a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have an extremely promising farm system to utilize over the next couple of years, headlined by some big-name prospects who may find themselves on the MLB roster in the near future. Over the years, they have traded away a ton of their younger talents to try and compete, and in 2023, it worked with a World Series title coming their way.

Some other deals have been less than impressive, and are more focused on just adding depth to the roster short-term. A name that ties into one of those types of deals will be returning to the Rangers this winter, after he was traded back in May of 2024 for a veteran bat.

A former Texas Rangers draft selection, this player made it three and a half seasons in their farm system before being dealt away, and in that span, he showcased some really promising stuff on the mound. After a short stint elsewhere, he will now return and look to continue to build off that momentum with the franchise where it all started for him back in 2019.

Who Did the Rangers Recently Bring Back on a Minor League Deal?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The player returning to the Rangers on a minor league deal is pitcher Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, who was a 2019 30th-round selection by Texas in the draft. After being traded for Robbie Grossman in 2024, he looked extremely promising in a limited sample size with the Chicago White Sox's Double-A affiliate. Unfortunately, he ended up on the restricted list at one point and did not pitch throughout 2025 before being released in July.

Welcome back, Robbie!

We've acquired OF Robbie Grossman from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa. pic.twitter.com/OVh6m1E741

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 8, 2024

After not being with an organization for the remainder of the season, he will now reunite with his former team to try to rebuild his value and find his way to the MLB level.

According to his MLB.com profile, he was signed on November 26 and was assigned to the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Rangers. This means he will at least maintain his level in the system, as that is where he left off before the trade, and likely where he should be, given his struggles in Triple-A Charlotte.

Having quality pitching depth is crucial, and Hoopii-Tuionetoa has a lot to prove still, given his short stint in Triple-A was poor. Regardless, he has showcased strong production before with a combined 2.17 ERA in all his Double-A innings. It is just a matter of finding that again and getting prepared for a full season of work.

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