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Rangers Sign Joe Barlow To Minor League Deal

By Nick Deeds | February 16, 2025 at 10:42am CDT

The Rangers announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Joe Barlow to a minor league deal. The contract includes an invitation to big league Spring Training.

Barlow, 29, was an 11th-round pick by the Rangers back in 2016 and spent parts of three MLB seasons with the club from 2021 to 2023. He shared closing duties with veteran Ian Kennedy in his rookie season and took over as primary closer for the club the following year, though he ultimately lost the role midway through the 2022 campaign. His removal with the closer role coincided with a severe nosedive in performance. The righty sported a phenomenal career 2.15 ERA with a 22.6% strikeout rate and a 3.79 FIP across 54 1/3 innings when he recorded his final save as the Rangers’ closer in June of 2022, but since then he’s struggled badly with a 5.59 ERA, and 5.96 FIP and a strikeout rate of just 14.6% in 19 1/3 big league innings.

Given those disastrous numbers over the course of nearly a year between him losing the closer job and the trade that brought Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to Texas at the 2023 trade deadline, it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the Rangers designated Barlow for assignment to make room for the incoming duo on the 40-man roster. Barlow was claimed off waivers by the Royals shortly thereafter but did not make an appearance with the club, pitching in the minors until he was once again designated for assignment in early September. He was eventually outrighted to the minors and signed a minor league deal with the White Sox last year, though he did not receive a call-up to the major leagues.

Barlow’s struggles after being removed from the closer role may have been health-related. He made multiple trips to the injured list due to blisters on his right index finger during the 2022 campaign after losing his job in the ninth inning, and ultimately ended up undergoing offseason surgery to correct two tendons in his right wrist that were causing the blisters. Barlow then made a trip to the IL in early 2023 due to kidney stones. Upon joining the White Sox last season, Barlow spent nearly the whole 2024 campaign on the injured list with just 12 total appearances at Triple-A. In 30 innings of work at Triple-A with Chicago and Kansas City since departing Texas, Barlow has been torched to the tune of an 8.40 ERA with a 10.7% walk rate against a 23.1% strikeout rate.

Barlow will now have the opportunity to prove he’s healthy and work his way back towards the majors in a familiar environment. The Rangers, meanwhile, will hope he can recapture the form he flashed early in his big league career. Even that wouldn’t be enough to close on a team with playoff aspirations like the Rangers have become, but Barlow could still join the deep group of arms the club has added this winter to help in the middle innings like Jacob Webb and Shawn Armstrong.

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Texas Rangers Transactions Joe Barlow

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Post a Comment

9 Comments

  1. christaylormvp

    8 months ago

    OMG THE SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN. HOW CAN ANYONE COMPETE WHEN JOE BARLOW ISN’T EVEN SIGNED YET?!?!

    1
    Reply
  2. User 3544663696

    8 months ago

    Arenado, Nootbar plus cash to the Rangers for Jung and Foscue makes sense.

    Reply
    • westex87

      8 months ago

      It makes zero sense to take on that contract for the Rangers

      4
      Reply
    • Mark in L A

      8 months ago

      Jung is a better bat than arenado

      5
      Reply
    • Texas two stepping

      8 months ago

      @Youjustmadethatup
      Always liked Arenado, but that’s a horrible trade,If Jung stays healthy this year he’s gonna have huge numbers, His injuries were not his doing, just unlucky being hit couple years in a row. He’s got great defense as well. And his pay is low.

      2
      Reply
      • ButchAdams79

        8 months ago

        I hope ur right. But I don’t think it’s bad luck. He’s had surgery every year since he was drafted. Gonna be like seager, and it’s a good year if he plays 120-130 games

        2
        Reply
        • Texas two stepping

          8 months ago

          @ButchAdams79
          Butch,if we can get 130 outta Jung and 32 outta Josh Smith or ? Can you imagine Jung numbers at 130 games

          1
          Reply
  3. Texas two stepping

    8 months ago

    I would be shocked if he makes the team, any team after his last year.

    1
    Reply
  4. MLBTR needs to hire editors

    8 months ago

    “Meanwhile” has to start the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.

    Reply

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