Pitcher Johnny Cueto, an All-Star in San Francisco, is reuniting with manager Bruce Bochy in Texas.
The 38-year-old right-hander has signed a minor league contract with the Rangers, according to multiple reports Tuesday. The contract, which has yet to be officially announced by the team, is worth a reported $1.6 million if Cueto is in the major leagues:
Johnny Cueto's sign update. https://t.co/yMyxFygGm5
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) April 23, 2024
Cueto became a free agent after an underwhelming 2023 season in which he appeared in 13 games (10 starts) with the Miami Marlins. He went 1-4 with a 6.02 earned-run average across 52.1 innings, missing time with a biceps injury and a viral infection.
If Cueto appears in a game with the Rangers, it will be his 17th consecutive season with at least one major league appearance dating to 2008. Cueto has gone 144-111 with a 3.50 ERA in 368 starts in his career with the Cincinnati Reds (2008-15), Kansas City Royals (2015), Giants (2017-21), Chicago White Sox (2022) and Marlins (2023).
The Rangers' rotation has been dealt its share of injuries this season. Most recently, that led them to call up prospect Jack Leiter for a spot start in Detroit last Thursday; the 24-year-old right-hander allowed eight runs in 3.2 innings, earning him a ticket back to Triple-A the next day.
Cody Bradford, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tyler Mahle are all on the injured list. While deGrom and Mahle are recovering from Tommy John surgery and unlikely to pitch in 2024, Texas can expect to see Scherzer and Bradford — both sidelined with back injuries — return at some point this season.
Against this backdrop, it's unclear when or if Cueto would figure into the Rangers' major-league plans.
Texas won its first World Series in franchise history last year. Dane Dunning, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Nathan Eovaldi, and Michael Lorenzen are currently holding down the five rotation spots. All are 29 or older, however, raising the need for minor league depth if the Rangers want to defend their title.
Johnny Cueto chose the Rangers for two primary reasons, I’m told: He wants to pitch for a contender, and he has a strong relationship with Bruce Bochy. Cueto spent four seasons pitching for Bochy in San Francisco. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 23, 2024
Cueto's postseason record, and his prior history with Bochy, suggest he could emerge as a secret weapon for the Rangers in October. Cueto helped the Kansas City Royals win the 2015 World Series by tossing a complete-game victory in Game 2 of that year's series against the New York Mets.
A free agent after that season, Cueto signed a six-year contract with the Giants. He would miss significant time with injuries, including a torn right UCL that required Tommy John surgery in Aug. 2018.
Cueto appeared in just one postseason game as a Giant in the 2016 NLDS and excelled in that game, allowing one run in eight innings against the eventual-champion Chicago Cubs.
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