Narrowing Down The Closer Options In Texas

Surprise, Ariz.—The Texas Rangers enter camp without a single pitcher who reached double-digit saves in 2025, a statistical void that underscores the front office’s winter-long search for a reliable ninth-inning arm. Only the White Sox joined Texas in that dubious club last season, while even the 43-win Rockies boasted multiple relievers who locked down 10 or more games.

Luke Jackson, Shawn Armstrong, and Robert Garcia shared the team lead with nine saves apiece, but Jackson and Armstrong have since signed elsewhere. Phil Maton, who added three saves, also departed, leaving Garcia, left-hander Tyler Alexander, and 40-year-old Chris Martin as the only holdovers with any recent save experience. With new manager Skip Schumaker now steering the dugout, the Rangers are weighing a mix of experience, upside, and spring intrigue as they sort out the final outs.

Garcia, acquired from Washington for Nathaniel Lowe two winters ago, is the early sentimental favorite. The 29-year-old lefty posted a sub-3.00 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning in 2025, piling up 15 holds to go with his nine saves. Yet the organization’s thin crop of left-handed relievers complicates his candidacy. Alexander, who arrives after four consecutive seasons of 4.50-plus ERAs, is the only other healthy southpaw on the 40-man roster slated for relief duty. If Jacob Latz loses the battle for the No. 5 rotation spot, he could shift to a multi-inning bullpen role, but he would not solve the late-inning lefty shortage.

Martin’s resilience remains a storyline. The veteran right-hander announced last October that he was “95 percent sure” 2025 would be his final season, then underwent three separate injuries and a thoracic-outlet-syndrome diagnosis. Still, the Rangers re-signed him to a one-year deal. After appearing in each of the club’s first three games last April, Martin is unlikely to be used that aggressively again, but his track record and guile keep him in the late-inning conversation.

The most electric name in the mix is right-hander Alexis Diaz. Once a dominant closer for Cincinnati—65 saves from 2023-24—Diaz opened last year on the injured list with a hamstring strain and never recovered, yielding eight earned runs in six big-league innings. He was traded to the Dodgers, scuffled in Oklahoma City, and finished the summer with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate. If Diaz can rediscover the fastball velocity that fueled a 32.5 percent strikeout rate as a rookie in 2022, he could leapfrog the field and reclaim ninth-inning duties.

Cole Winn offers a different profile. The 2018 first-round pick transitioned from starter to reliever last season and posted a sparkling 1.51 ERA across 41 2/3 innings, albeit with underlying metrics that hint at regression—.194 BABIP, 90.5 percent strand rate, and xERA/xFIP both north of 4.00. Still, Winn’s arsenal plays up in short bursts: a 96-plus mph four-seamer, a slider that generated 34 percent whiffs, and a splitter that topped 43 percent. He picked up four holds in middle relief but has never been entrusted with a save.

Rule 5 selection Trystan Baumler has opened eyes in Cactus League play, touching the upper 90s with a power slider and a knee-buckling curve. Schumaker told reporters the 23-year-old possesses “stuff that we don’t really have in the mix of the potential bullpen construction.” Baumler has never pitched above Double-A, so expectations remain tempered, yet three strikeouts over two scoreless spring innings have accelerated his bid to stick on the Opening-Day roster.

Barring a late addition, the Rangers will break camp with a closer-by-committee or an unproven ninth-inning heir apparent. Garcia’s experience gives him pole position, Diaz’s ceiling offers the highest upside, Winn’s stuff demands higher-leverage looks, and Baumler’s Rule 5 status guarantees at least a short runway. How Schumaker pieces together the final outs could determine whether Texas escapes the American League’s save cellar in 2026.