The Texas Rangers are bringing back a familiar face, signing right-hander Josh Sborz to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training. It’s a low-risk move with some intriguing upside, especially considering the role Sborz played in the team’s recent success-and the adversity he’s faced since.
Sborz, now 32, is no stranger to the Rangers’ clubhouse. He’s spent the last five seasons with the organization, and while the numbers on the surface haven’t always been pretty, there’s more to his story than ERA alone.
Take 2023, for example. That year, Sborz posted a 5.50 ERA-hardly eye-popping-but the advanced metrics told a more encouraging tale.
His 30.7% strikeout rate was elite, and his walk rate (7.9%) hovered just below league average. The real culprit?
A fluky 56% strand rate that inflated his ERA despite a 3.75 FIP and 3.05 SIERA suggesting he was far more effective than the box score let on.
And when it mattered most, Sborz delivered. During the Rangers’ 2023 postseason run, he was lights out.
Over 12 innings and 10 appearances, he allowed just one earned run and punched out 13 batters. That kind of clutch performance helped cement his place as one of the unsung heroes of the team’s championship push.
But the high of 2023 gave way to a frustrating stretch. Shoulder and rotator cuff issues limited Sborz to just 16 1/3 innings in 2024.
He eventually underwent debridement surgery that November, a procedure that initially came with a two-to-three month recovery timeline. Unfortunately, his rehab didn’t go as planned, and he ended up missing the entire 2025 season.
With Sborz projected to earn the same $1.1 million salary in arbitration that he made in 2025, the Rangers opted not to tender him a contract, making him a free agent. But now, with another offseason of recovery under his belt, Texas is giving him a chance to prove he’s back-and possibly better.
This move fits into a broader pattern for the Rangers, who are once again trying to piece together a competitive bullpen without breaking the bank. Last offseason, they handed out modest one-year deals to veterans like Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Luke Jackson, Jacob Webb, and Shawn Armstrong. Most of those arms held up well, but they’ve since hit free agency, leaving the Rangers to reload once again.
So far this winter, Texas has brought back Martin and added Jakob Junis, Alexis Díaz, and Tyler Alexander-all on deals worth $4 million or less. That group joins returning relievers like Robert Garcia and Cole Winn, with Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler also in the mix. It’s a bullpen built on value, depth, and upside.
For Sborz, the path back to the majors will depend on whether he can regain the velocity and sharpness that made him such a weapon in 2023. If he shows signs of that form in spring training, he could very well pitch his way into a role. And if he does, the Rangers might have found another bullpen gem-one they already know can shine when the lights are brightest.
