{"id":138069,"date":"2026-01-11T13:33:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138069"},"modified":"2026-01-11T13:33:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:33:21","slug":"from-forgotten-draft-flop-to-rangers-redemption-hero-the-waiver-shocker-thatll-blow-your-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138069","title":{"rendered":"From Forgotten Draft Flop to Rangers’ Redemption Hero: The Waiver Shocker That’ll Blow Your Mind!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong><\/p>\n

IMAGE: May 12, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a batting helmet during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

Zak Kent Returns to Rangers, Hoping to Bolster Bullpen Depth After Whirlwind Offseason<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zak Kent is back in Arlington. The right-hander, originally drafted by the Rangers in the ninth round back in 2019, has returned to the organization after being claimed off waivers from the St.<\/p>\n

Louis Cardinals on Friday. It\u2019s a full-circle moment for the 27-year-old, who spent the bulk of his early pro career in Texas before a busy offseason sent him bouncing between teams.<\/p>\n

Kent made his MLB debut in 2025, logging 17.2 innings across 12 appearances. His stat line-1-0 record, 4.58 ERA, 16 strikeouts, eight walks, and a 1.42 WHIP-doesn\u2019t jump off the page, but it does hint at a pitcher still finding his footing at the big-league level. He earned his first career win in a wild 9-8 Guardians victory over the Rangers on September 28, a fitting twist in what\u2019s been a winding path.<\/p>\n

Now, Kent re-enters a Texas bullpen picture that\u2019s far from settled. The Rangers are in retooling mode after another offseason of free-agent turnover, and Kent will be among a long list of arms vying for a spot in the relief corps come spring training. He\u2019s not a lock, but he\u2019s certainly a name to watch.<\/p>\n

\"Rangers<\/p>\n

A Return Home After a Brief Stint Elsewhere<\/h3>\n

Kent\u2019s journey over the past year has been anything but straightforward. After being traded to the Guardians following his initial stint with Texas, he was released earlier this offseason.<\/p>\n

The Cardinals scooped him up off waivers on December 5, but his time in St. Louis was short-lived-he was released earlier this week to make room on the 40-man roster for reliever Justin Bruihl.<\/p>\n

\"Doesn't<\/p>\n

That opened the door for the Rangers to bring him back into the fold.<\/p>\n

A Glimpse at the Numbers<\/h3>\n

Kent\u2019s professional career has had its highs and lows. In his debut season in 2019, he posted a 5.12 ERA across rookie ball and Low-A.<\/p>\n

The pandemic wiped out his 2020 campaign, but he returned strong in 2021. Starting in High-A, he turned in a 2.83 ERA over 60.1 innings, earning a promotion to Double-A Frisco.<\/p>\n

The adjustment wasn\u2019t seamless-he struggled to a 5.34 ERA in 28.2 innings-but the upside was evident.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2025, and Kent was showing real signs of progress in Triple-A with Cleveland\u2019s affiliate. He struck out over 32 percent of batters faced, walked just 13 percent, and posted a strong 54 percent ground-ball rate. That kind of profile-miss bats, limit walks (relatively), and keep the ball on the ground-is exactly what teams look for in bullpen arms.<\/p>\n

What This Means for Texas<\/h3>\n

The Rangers don\u2019t need Kent to be a savior-they need him to be a reliable option. With several bullpen spots up for grabs and a front office looking to patch together a competitive relief unit, Kent offers experience, familiarity, and a touch of untapped potential. He was once ranked among the organization\u2019s top 30 prospects, and while that designation has faded, the tools that earned it haven\u2019t disappeared.<\/p>\n

For Kent, this is a second chance with the club that first believed in him. For the Rangers, it\u2019s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move to shore up depth in a bullpen that\u2019s still taking shape. Spring training will tell us more, but for now, Zak Kent is back in Texas-and the door is open for him to carve out a role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: May 12, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a batting helmet during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Forgotten Draft Flop to Rangers' Redemption Hero: The Waiver Shocker That'll Blow Your Mind! - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138069\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Forgotten Draft Flop to Rangers' Redemption Hero: The Waiver Shocker That'll Blow Your Mind! 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