The Texas Rangers added to their starting rotation Tuesday by agreeing to terms with Johnny Cueto. The new contract is of the minor league variety, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. For the 38-year-old right-hander, this signing comes on the heels of a stint with the Miami Marlins in 2023.
Late Signing
Johnny Cueto remained a free agent this season until his reported deal with the Rangers on Tuesday. The deal reunites him with Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who managed the San Francisco Giants in four of Cueto’s seasons there. MLB Network’s John Morosi reports that Cueto has a strong relationship with Bochy and wanted to play for a championship caliber club.
He was a Cy Young candidate and one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball from 2014-16. Cueto made All-Star teams in 2014 and 2016 with the Cincinnati Reds and Giants. The last time Johnny Cueto was a regular starter was with the Chicago White Sox in 2022. He posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.225 WHIP while striking 102 batters across 158 1/3 innings in 24 starts for the White Sox. He was limited to 52 1/3 innings with the Marlins last season where he had a 6.02 ERA, 1.261 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts.
On the Mend
Heading into play on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, the Rangers are off to a 12-11 start. For the moment, that’s good enough for first place in the AL West. They’ve started the season with multiple starters on the injured list including Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tyler Mahle.
Mahle and deGrom are both recovering from Tommy John surgery and aren’t expected back until the halfway point of the season at the earliest. Scherzer is recovering from December back surgery and recently threw 40 pitches in a simulated game. Per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, he’s scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday. This team is slowly piecing itself back together.
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