Texas Rangers Should Consider Bringing This Closer to Spring Training

The Texas Rangers say they’re done with their bullpen, but there is one more option worth exploring when it comes to the ninth inning.

Aug 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young says the team is basically done when it comes to collecting relievers for the bullpen.

That may be true, but the truth remains that no single reliever on their roster has more than 14 Major League saves in his career, and that happens to be Chris Martin, who has never attempted to be a full-time closer.

The Rangers may be able to figure it out on the fly, either during spring training or during the early portion of the regular season. Or they could try to address it at mid-season as they did during their World Series drive in 2023.

But the free-agent market has reached a point where pitchers that might have cost the Rangers more than they were willing to pay just a month ago are now available for far less.

That is why the Rangers should take a look at former Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan before they head to Surprise, Ariz., for spring training next week.

The Nationals opted not to tender Finnegan a contract in November, as Washington appeared unwilling to pay the projected $8 million he was going to get on a one-year deal or in arbitration.

It was mostly about the money because, based on performance, his departure was one of the bigger curiosities of the offseason.

Finnegan was a workhorse for the Nationals the past four seasons, making at least 65 appearances in each year. His save total went up each of the last three seasons, to a career-high 38 saves in 2024, along with a 3-8 record and a 3.68 ERA.

He made his first All-Star Game appearance last year and struck out more than eight hitters every nine innings.

The 33-year-old right-hander has a career record of 22-26 with 88 saves and a 3.56 ERA. He has 288 strikeouts and 117 walks since he was promoted to the Majors in 2020.

It’s true that Finnegan had a downturn in performance at the end of the season. But the 31-year-old right-hander from Kingwood, Texas, has never had an ERA higher than 3.76 in a single season and in a full Major League season he's never failed to make fewer than 60 appearances.

Perhaps more importantly, he has 74 more saves than any other reliever the Rangers have on their current roster.

Now, with Finnegan looking for any job, he could be had for half the cost the Nationals would have had to pay him in arbitration. The Rangers should take a look, if for no other reason that to give their bullpen a little more security.