The Texas Rangers head into 2026 with one of the best problems a team can have: a dominant pitching staff that just needs someone to slam the door shut in the ninth. Despite finishing last season with the league’s best ERA, the Rangers struggled to convert late-inning leads into wins – posting just 37 saves in 66 opportunities. That’s not a bullpen meltdown, but it’s certainly a missed opportunity for a team with postseason aspirations.

They didn’t have a true closer last year, either. Instead, it was a closer-by-committee approach, with Shawn Armstrong, Robert Garcia, and Luke Jackson each tallying nine saves.

Solid arms, but no clear-cut answer. That’s where Alexis Díaz comes in.

Signed last month to a one-year, $1 million deal, Díaz could be the missing piece at the back end of the bullpen. And according to recent reports, the Rangers are feeling good about where he’s at this offseason – both physically and mentally. The word is he’s motivated, working hard, and eager to get back to the dominant form that once made him one of the most exciting young closers in the game.

And make no mistake: Díaz has been that guy before.

Back in 2022, during his rookie campaign with the Cincinnati Reds, Díaz burst onto the scene with a 1.84 ERA, 10 saves, and 83 strikeouts across 63 2/3 innings. That performance earned him a 2.9 bWAR and put him squarely on the map as a future star.

He followed that up in 2023 with an All-Star nod, 37 saves, and a 3.07 ERA over 67 1/3 innings. The stuff was electric.

The strikeouts were there. The confidence?

Unshakable.

But the one issue that’s followed Díaz throughout his career has been command – specifically, the walks. He issued 33 free passes in 2022 and 36 more in 2023. Even during that All-Star season, control was the one thing keeping him from being truly elite.

In 2024, the results started to dip. Díaz still notched 28 saves and struck out 55 in 56 1/3 innings, but his ERA climbed to 3.99 and walks remained a problem – 31 of them, to be exact. It wasn’t a collapse, but the cracks were starting to show.

Then came 2025, and things unraveled fast. In just six innings with the Reds, Díaz gave up eight earned runs, including four homers, and walked five.

That led to a demotion to Triple-A Louisville on May 1. A few weeks later, Cincinnati shipped him to the Dodgers in exchange for right-hander Mike Villani.

The change of scenery didn’t spark a turnaround. Díaz made nine appearances for L.A., giving up five earned runs over nine innings, including two more homers and a pair of walks.

The Dodgers shuffled him between the majors and minors before designating him for assignment in September. Atlanta took a flier on him, but Díaz struggled again – three earned runs on five walks in just 2 2/3 innings over three outings.

It was a rough year, no question. But the Rangers are betting on the upside – and there’s plenty of it. Díaz is still just 29, has a proven track record of success, and features a pitch mix that, when it’s on, can make hitters look completely overmatched.

If the Rangers can help him harness his control, there’s real potential here. He doesn’t need to be perfect – he just needs to be consistent enough to give manager Skip Schumaker a go-to option when the game’s on the line. That’s been missing in Arlington.

This isn’t just a low-risk signing – it’s a calculated gamble on a guy who’s shown he can be elite. And if Díaz can find that groove again, the Rangers’ bullpen could go from solid to downright scary.