The Rangers provided relief Josh Sborz his release from a minor league contract, reports Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The righty’s deal has an unspecified June exit date. It’s not clear if Sborz officially opted out or if Texas released him before deciding not to join the MLB club.
Sborz pitched four MLB seasons with Texas between 2021-24. Although he had a nondescript 4.86 earned run average in 150 regular season innings, he made team history in October ’23. Borz worked 12 frames of one-run ball over 10 appearances during the Rangers’ title run. He was one of Bruce Bochy’s primary setup arms and fired 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the save in the World Series clinching Game 5 at Chase Field.
Shoulder problems have plagued him since that triumphant season. Sborz is limited to 16 2/3 innings in 2024. He missed last season working his way back through the waiver process, as he suffered a setback during a short-lived minor league rehab. Texas chose not to offer him an arbitration contract but was able to retain him on a minor league deal.
The 32-year-old has been healthy this year but hasn’t been good enough to earn a roster spot. Sborz allowed 13 runs over 14 1/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock. He struck out 17 of 65 batters (26.1%) but issued nine walks and gave up six home runs. He spent a month working on his mechanics outside of games before being reassigned to Double-A a few weeks ago. Texas sent him back to Round Rock on May 27. He allowed five hits to 10 batters he faced in two innings before being ejected.
It would be surprising if Sborz gets a big league deal given his recent form. He will likely look for a new place to land on a minor league contract to succeed. Sborz’s 93.4 mph average velocity in Triple-A this year is down a few ticks from his peak.
